


A Festival Worth Going To

by autotheft



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Muggle, Drugs, Festivals, Honestly I'll add more tags as I go, M/M, Music, Sirius is a rockstar, james is a chill bass player
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-10-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 16:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8021710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autotheft/pseuds/autotheft
Summary: Muggle AU. Remus gets dragged along to a weekend music festival with Lily and quickly develops a crush on a lead singer. Luckily Lily has good connections.





	1. The festival

**Author's Note:**

> I've had so much fun writing this! Tell me your opinions on this so far and I'll make sure to get updates out as frequently as possible.

The hazy afternoon sunlight radiated heat onto a vast, stretched out field. It was full of crowds, makeshift stages and the occasional party tent. There was barely any grass left, the ground was reduced to a muddy consistency, especially in the mosh pit areas. Plastic cups, stomped out cigarettes and alcohol bottles and cans were littered everywhere.

“It’s like rubbish bins aren’t a thing to these people.” Remus huffed, tripping over his own feet as he attempted to keep up with his friend, Lily, who was speed-walking a little way ahead of him. She was eager to get a good spot in the crowd of people waiting for the next act. Lily turned to face him, halting so suddenly that Remus wobbled dangerously and grabbed her arm to keep his balance.

“Rem, do you have to complain about everything? I know you’ll enjoy yourself once the music starts.” Lily beamed up him, he let go of her arm and frowned at her sceptically.

“Just because you forced me to come does _not_ mean I have to enjoy myself,” he started, and they fell back into walking towards the main stage, “I’m here for moral support, drunk Lily support, and creepy guy support.”

“I forced you to come because I _wanted_ you to enjoy yourself! That was the point.” They reached the outskirts of the crowd of people and Lily sighed dramatically. Remus watched as she tried and failed to see over the crowd on her tip-toes. “Shit, I guess it’s time for plan B, Rem.” She looked up at Remus expectantly, her hands on her hips and her blue flower crown slipping slightly out of her bronze coloured hair. Remus knew he wouldn’t be able to argue with her and crouched down awkwardly so that she could hoist herself up onto his shoulder.

“Advantages of being an awkward tall person,” Remus chuckled, “hold on tight Lil, I don’t want to drop you on your head or something.” She wasn’t too heavy, but he knew he couldn’t hold her up through the whole of the band’s set without collapsing. Lily seemed to be thinking along the same lines because he then heard her voice in his ear.

“I have an idea!” she giggled and folded her arms so they rested on top of Remus’s head gently, “let’s try and get to the front! I’ve seen other people get past before, and you’re so tall no one’s going to pick a fight with you, are they?” She was right, although Remus’s height was about the only intimidating thing about him. He contemplated what she had said for a second and a small bubble of anxiety started to form in his stomach; he already stood out most of the time because of how he seemed to tower over most people. The thought of having to wade through a crowd of people was not something Remus particularly wanted.

Lily felt him tense slightly and spoke up once more, “Oh no, Rem, you’re honestly not _that_ tall! What are you, like, six foot two? It’s not like you’re world record or freak show tall. Plus, you’re never going to see these people again, who cares what they think.” She pulled a miniature liquor bottle out of her shoulder bag and waved it in front of his face from her position on his shoulders. Remus didn’t need coaxing, he grabbed the bottle from under his nose and downed its contents, feeling it burn the back of his throat. “Good boy!” Praised Lily, patting his head like he was a well-trained puppy. “Now, onwards!” she pointed dramatically ahead and they began weaving their way through the swarm of people.

* * *

 

It was fine at first. The occasional, ‘Excuse me, please,’ would make a few people move back, albeit rather reluctantly so that Remus could edge his way closer to the barrier. An excited Lily bouncing on his shoulders giddily was distracting him from the all the stares other people were giving the two. By the time they were almost close enough to the stage that they could both see what was happening clearly, Remus heard Lily exclaim, “Holy shit, Rem! Is this how you see the world on a regular basis? I feel ready to fight anyone!” She mimed punching someone square in the face, and Remus pretended to throw her off his shoulders. She wobbled slightly, screaming and waving her hands frantically. This earned some startled glances from the people around them. Remus just laughed and continued to squeeze past the tightly knit groups of festival goers.

“Just a little further now, Rem, we are so close to the front!” He could hear her clapping her hands together happily, “And to think, we were almost late _and_ could have been stuck at the back because you wanted to stop for food.” Remus rolled his eyes and politely asked a group of tipsy girls to move aside before replying.

“Well, you made me miss breakfast, so who’s _really_ to blame here?” He’d stopped walking now, they’d finally reached the front of the crowd. Remus crouched awkwardly again so Lily could jump down. He placed both hands on the hot metal bar they were faced with. He’d been to very few concerts in his lifetime, and two out of three times were with his mum and dad. The other one was on a date, but needless to say, it went pretty badly when he’d lost both the guy he was on a date with and his car on the same night. He’d been unsure what to do when Lily invited him to this big music festival thing; she had gotten her hands on a pair of tickets because she’d expertly flirted her way backstage at a different event. Eventually, though, as she always did, she’d persuaded him to come because he ‘needed the fresh air’ or something along those lines.

But now being here seemed silly, since he knew almost nothing about the acts that were performing, and he couldn’t drink the whole thing away as he had to look out for Lily, who was known to get pretty reckless after a few big drinks. The only thing he was looking forward to was the possibility of free food at the exclusive after party; bless Lily and her master flirtation techniques. Remus was about to ask Lily what time the next band was actually supposed to show up when the crowd erupted into deafening screams and cheers which startled him, and his head whipped up to the side of the stage so fast he swore he’d felt something in his neck pull.

Three guys walked out onto the front of the stage, each armed with a musical instrument. The guy furthest from him had dark skin, messy hair and big round glasses.  He was tall, maybe even as tall as Remus, and was holding a white bass proudly. At the back of the stage, the drummer sat behind his kit nervously, twirling his sticks and occasionally running a hand through his mousey brown hair. Compared to the bass player, he was tiny. Then Remus noticed the band member nearest to himself, and he actually gasped in surprise.

 The guy in front of him was tuning his guitar lazily with his left hand which made his curly dark hair fall into his eyes easily. A microphone stand was set up in front of him, and eventually, he started checking that over too. He was wearing black skinny jeans that had way too many rips and a loose grey tank top that also had a few holes in. If Remus wasn’t so speechless he’d have made a joke about it, but instead, he found himself thinking that the extra exposure of skin wasn’t a bad thing. In the midst of the screams he tapped Lily’s shoulder to get her attention and asked if she knew the names of the band members. Sure enough, she pointed to each of them in turn and yelled their names loud enough for Remus to hear above the noise.

“James. “ She gestured to the tall bass player at the far end of the stage with a sigh, “Peter,” She pointed to the back of the stage where the drummer was now busying himself with his kit, “And,” she looked at the guitar player and then back at Remus, “he’s just your type.” Lily smirked up at her friend’s startled expression.

“Excuse me?” Remus finally managed to splutter, shaking his head profusely before adding, “But really, Lil. I need to know for, er, scientific reasons. What’s his name?”

“His name is Sirius. He sings and plays the guitar and- you’re drooling, Rem.”

Remus even knew he was at this point, but Sirius had just shaken his loose curls out of his face and had started speaking; nothing would stop him from hanging onto his every word.

“Hello, London! How are all you lovely people doing on this fine afternoon, in this beautiful change of British weather?” His voice was casual and light-hearted like he was talking to a small group of his friends and not a field full of people screaming his name, amongst other things. Remus thought he could listen to his voice all day. He was no doubt from a posh family, there was a slight haughtiness lingering on every syllable. He didn’t seem as full of himself as he sounded, though.

Sirius paused, letting the crowd calm down slightly before speaking again, “Me, James and Pete have got some good songs planned to keep you company until the late hours of your Saturday night! Would you all like that?” The crowd cheered heartily and Remus found himself cheering too, his eyes fixated on Sirius like he was bewitched.

Remus was honestly surprised with how much he already seemed to be enjoying himself, 5 minutes into their set. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Lily smirking at him in such an ‘I told you so’ way and he couldn’t even bring himself to be mad. He did enjoy listening to music, he wasn’t _that_ boring, and although he hadn’t listened to this band before he still faintly recognised some of the tunes. Whether it was from the radio or from sharing a flat with Lily; he wasn’t sure. He was sure, however, of how good this band sounded live.

* * *

 

About halfway through their set, Remus began to be aware of how much his legs were aching. He had been jumping and swaying with the crowd and dancing with Lily for the best part of half an hour, and looking around it was obvious that other people were feeling the fatigue kick in too as many of them were getting piggybacks or leaning against their friends for support. Not only was he aching all over but it was also scorching hot. He’d been yelling and cheering so much his tongue felt stuck to the roof of his mouth from lack of moisture. Lily, on the other hand, didn’t seem remotely tired, in fact, she was still going strong, hanging from the metal railing separating them from the stage and singing every word along with Sirius on stage as if her life depended on it.

_“You're gonna look at me twice, it's eventual_

_You're there when you're not ‘cause I'm smoking your menthols_

_Smoking your menthols_

_Wearing all your clothes again_

_They're wearing thin but it's one way to be together_

_Be together” (1)_

Remus loved the way their songs changed styles. They weren’t all fast-paced tunes that might end up with a few broken bones in the mosh-pit or passing out from exhaustion. He was mesmerised by the way the instruments seemed to create something that sounded so incredible when put together. Lily was still singing along, and Remus had to tap her hard on the shoulder to get her attention off of Sirius and his captivating aura on stage.

“What’s up, Rem? Need to take a breather?” She had to raise her voice a considerable amount to be heard over the noise of the heavy bass of the music, not to mention they were right beside a large speaker.

“No, I’m good. I just wanted to know if there was any water left in your bag. My mouths dry as fuck.”

“What? I can’t hear you very well.” Lily shrugged and gestured to the speaker that was blaring sound out so loud Remus could feel it pounding in his head.

“Water!” He bent down slightly so she would have a better chance of hearing, and she seemed to understand him this time as she rustled around in her bag and then produced a small bottle of water for him with a smile. Remus thanked her and took several gulps before handing it back; she had a large drink of it herself before zipping it up in her bag. They both turned their attention back to the stage where the band had just finished another song. James was swapping basses with a member of the technical crew and Sirius was sorting out his remaining plectrums. Everyone buzzed with anticipation for the next song, but instead Sirius cleared his throat into the mic and spoke.

“How’s everyone doing so far?” The crowd erupted with cheers and Remus and Lily both yelled and waved their arms excitedly. Sirius exchanged grins with James who was adjusting his new bass. “We’re glad to hear it! Thanks so much for coming out to see us, it means a lot.” He adjusted his mic slightly and scanned the crowd, still grinning profusely. His eyes landed on Remus at the front, and Remus felt his stomach flip. He looked back up at him, but Sirius’s grin just widened and he looked away, strumming some chords on his guitar and starting the next song.

_“Long were the days_

_Where the window held the deepest of my_

_Thoughts it's okay_

_I found my place_

_Found on the way_

_To the place I never really thought I'd go_

_It's okay_

_You were there in the back of my brain.” (2)_

“Rem! Did you see that? He was totally looking at you!” Lily tugged on Remus’s arm, snapping him back into reality.

“Wha- oh, no. Lil, I really don’t think he was looking at _me_ in particular…” But even as he said it out loud, Remus knew he was making up excuses. Sirius had been looking at him, and even smiled! _He was probably laughing at you,_ whispered a nasty voice in the back of his brain. _That’s more_ _believable_ , mused Remus, _no one really goes out of their way to look at me if they can help it._

“You know, he’s going to be at that after party we’re going to. You should talk to him!” Lily shook his arm vigorously, Remus shot her a deathly glare and she immediately let go.

“I mean, we’ll see. But to be honest he was probably just like looking over at this area and not just me. I don’t know.” He tripped over his words in an attempt to make Lily let it go, but she just gave him a knowing look and turned to start singing along again.

* * *

 

Throughout the remainder of their set, Remus kept catching Sirius glancing at him. At first, it was sidelong glances, and then he started to completely turn and face Remus whilst strumming. Sometimes Sirius would look away to face Peter when it was his drumming solos or pester James during the instrumentals, but eventually, he’d glance back again. He was practically singing to Remus from the stage by the end. Remus was dumbstruck, he wasn’t sure whether to wave or do something cool; all he could do was stand there awkwardly while Lily squealed and waved up at Sirius frantically. To Remus’s horror, Sirius actually waved back as the final song came to an end.

“That’s all folks, thanks for showing up! This weekend has been incredible.” Sirius shook his curls out of his face in a way that was reminiscent of a dog and let his guitar hang from his shoulder strap. He took a final bow with James and Peter to the crowd who clapped and hollered as they all made their way to the side of the stage and disappeared from sight.

“Holy shit. I am so glad I dragged you along now.” Lily laughed and started messing with her hair, untangling the flower crown which had managed to knot itself firmly into place. Remus’s ears were ringing now that there wasn’t a thundering beat filling his head, so he pinched his nose and tried hard to pop his ears. The relief was instant and made it much easier to hear. Looking up, he noticed that the sky was starting to fade into a velvety purple, but the sun still shone through with a confident amber haze. People were starting to spread out, leaving for different stages where different acts would be playing all night.

Remus and Lily began to file out of the stage area too, their legs aching and heads pounding but their spirits soaring. Lily produced her last bottle of cider, disguised as a bottle of Lucozade, and they passed it between them as they wandered aimlessly. They considered seeing a couple of other bands, but Lily wasn’t too fussed as she’d been able to see her favourites earlier, and Remus barely knew the headlining acts to be able to get hyped up. In the end, they decided to go back to their hotel and get ready for the party that was to be later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The two songs I used the lyrics from are both by the band Wolf Alice- (1) Lisbon & (2) Freazy. Check them out if you want!


	2. The party

“Remus, where’s the glitter?”

“I don’t know, Lil, you had it last.”

“I know, but I went to touch up my powder and it brushed all the glitter off! I need to reapply.”

“I have no idea, check under the sink?”

They had been getting ready for an hour and a half, but it had become rather difficult when Remus realised he had forgotten his straighteners and Lily had forgotten her favourite platforms. They both agreed they were going to look like fashion disasters. Lily even resorted to googling the nearest Topshop and managed to buy a completely new pair of platforms. Luckily, Remus had remembered to throw his best shoes into his suitcase, and his outfit was fairly straight forward. He was wearing grey skinny jeans and an oversized lilac jumper. His shoes were probably the most expensive item of clothing he owned, and his one most prized possessions. They were brown Dr Marten Chelsea boots and he practically wore them everywhere.

Lily had decided to wear her black dungaree dress, a red and white long sleeve crop top underneath, and white knee high socks. Her brand new platforms pulled the look together, and Remus supported her impromptu-buy one hundred percent. She’d also let Remus style her hair so that it fell in a fishtail braid neatly down her back. She’d ditched the flower crown because it proved so difficult to remove after the festival that Remus had to cut it out of her hair with a pair of nail scissors that they’d bought from Boots. What was most exciting, however, was that while Lily had been in the queue at Topshop she’d spotted a pack of different coloured body glitter and threw it into her basket immediately. As soon as she got back they both went wild with the glitter; Remus had put a fair amount across his cheekbones and a tiny bit on the tip of his nose and Lily did the same, except she also mixed it into her eyeshadow.

While Lily was finishing up her makeup, Remus was trying desperately to flatten his hair down using his phone camera as a mirror because Lily was already using the only mirror that they had. His natural hair wasn’t curly, but it wasn’t straight either. His hair was constantly stuck in this weird wavy state and he hated it. He’d always adored curly hair, and the thing that pissed him off the most was the fact that both his parents had thick curly hair. He blamed the rest of his family and their weird genetics. Remus finally gave up and ran both his hands through his hair before throwing his phone down onto his bed in defeat.

“I think I’m ready, how do I look?” Lily came to stand in front of Remus and twirled. She had reapplied her glitter and found her star shaped earrings in the bottom of her bag too, as he noticed them glimmer under the hotel rooms yellow lights.

“You look great, Lil. That party’s not gonna know what hit them.” Remus picked his phone back up and glanced at the time without really taking it in while Lily started to take inventory of what they needed to take with them in her bag for just-in-cases. He was slightly nervous about going to this party. Not that he didn’t like going to parties, because he’d always enjoyed house parties and nights out while he was at school, but when GCSE’s came along everyone suddenly dropped their social lives for coursework and revision. Now he was at university, he didn’t have that much time to go out and do things either, but at the weekends he’d go with a couple of friends, Lily included, to see what was on in the city centre. This weekend was a big deal, though, so most people called in sick at work or school to camp out in a field for three days and see all their favourite bands. Luckily, Remus had already finished his classes by the time they had to set off on Friday afternoon.

“Right, so I’ve packed extra glitter, my lipgloss, keys to the hotel and money for a taxi. Is your phone charged up? I’ve got portable chargers just in case. Okay,” Lily paused to breathe and scanned their hotel room once more for anything she might have missed. “Ready to go?”

Remus put his phone into his back pocket and took a deep breath, then went to get the door as Lily fiddled with her bag, “As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”

* * *

 

They ended up arriving at the party 5 minutes late because Lily got muddled up with the directions and the taxi driver didn’t seem to know where he was going. Eventually, Remus had told the driver that they could get out and walk. After a couple of blocks they heard the faint sound of music and chatter, so they sped up considerably as they were both anxious enough about being late.

There was a long line of people filling up the Hilton Hotel lobby and Remus felt a bit out of his depth, but Lily strode confidently up to front desk and pulled out two laminated passes. The security guard nodded and pointed to the elevator. They got into the elevator with a few other people that looked rather excited and Lily pressed the button for the eighth floor; they were headed for the Sky Bar. Remus pulled a loose thread on the sleeve of his jumper while Lily checked her reflection in the mirror-lined the walls while they ascended.

The elevator stopped smoothly and the doors slid open with a ding. The atmosphere of the party hit them instantly as they stepped out of the elevator and into the brightly lit bar entrance. Their invites were checked over again by another member of the security and then they finally stepped through. The bar was full of people, most of them were dressed incredibly stylish and seemed to know everyone that was anyone. There was loud music coming from behind the bar and from the various wall speakers but it wasn’t as loud as the festival had been. Everyone seemed to be wrapped up in conversations, laughing and drinking posh looking drinks.

Lily squealed with excitement as she took in her surroundings. “I’ve always wanted to party in a bar like this; wow!” she swayed on the spot, not quite sure what to do first. “I’m heading up to the bar, do you want anything?”

“Gin and tonic, if it’s not too much trouble. I’m just gonna sit over there.” As Lily hurried towards the large glass bar with shelves upon shelves of alcohol, Remus scanned the lounging area for a spare seat or two. After finding two good seats he spotted Lily returning with two drinks in hand; Remus’s Gin, with plenty of ice and a lime in a large balloon glass, and her own, a strange cocktail he didn’t recognise topped full of ice. A blackberry was wobbling dangerously on top. Remus thanked her and took his drink as she sat beside him. Lily popped the blackberry into her mouth so she could take a sip easily and then spoke.

“Have you spotted him yet?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Remus!” Lily tried to look him in the eye but he evaded her gaze carefully, taking a large sip of his gin through his straw.

“Ugh, fine. No, I haven’t seen him, and I haven’t exactly been looking for him either; we’ve only just got here.” He still refused to meet her eye, staring avidly into his glass and stirring his ice around with his straw. “I don’t even know him, Lil, you’re acting like this isn’t a big deal but he just headlined a fucking _festival_. I’m not sure he’s at all interested in me.” Remus paused to take another sip of his drink, thinking hard. “I’ll bet you twenty pounds he’s straight.”

“Deal. No backing out, Lupin, I’ll be expecting that twenty quid after you’re off snogging him somewhere.”

Remus choked on his drink, and gin went down the front of his jumper. Before he could reply Lily jumped up and drank the rest of her cocktail in one swig. “Well, I’ll love you and leave you for a bit, Rem.” She grinned at him, “mingle! If I find out you’ve been sat here drinking all night I’ll make you sleep in the hotel corridor.” Remus knew from experience that she wasn’t joking. He smiled meekly and waved her off, slumping further into the royal blue corner sofa and sipping his gin until his glass was practically empty apart from the remaining rapidly melting ice cubes.

“Is this seat taken?”

“No, you’re alright, mate. The person sat there’s just gone.” Remus replied to the stranger without looking up, he was in the middle of working up the courage to get another drink whilst watching the ice cubes dissolve into lukewarm water at the bottom of his glass.

“I see your glass is empty.” The stranger continued, but Remus was only half listening.

“What? Oh, yeah.”

“Well, I was about to get myself another drink. Can I get you one? That looks like a G&T to me.”

It was at this comment that Remus glanced up from his glass, and he jumped in shock. Sitting beside him was the last person he had expected to offer to buy him a drink. It was Sirius.

“Um, yeah. That’s my usual.” Remus managed to squeak out a response before darting his eyes back down to his glass, tapping a rhythm on the glass with his fingernails. He could actually feel his legs shaking and he had no idea why. Sirius’s whole aura made Remus feel dizzy now that he was so close to him. He glanced back up out of curiosity, and Sirius was grinning from ear to ear. Up close, his features were much clearer; he had high and hollow cheekbones, a smooth complexion and slightly faded moles dotted over the bridge of his nose and above his right eyebrow. He was even more handsome up close and Remus felt his whole face grow hot.

“Coming right up.” He heard Sirius chuckle and then he got up and left to go to the bar, leaving Remus’s head spinning. After coming back to his senses, Remus put his empty glass on one of the tables in front of him and looked briefly around the room for Lily. He spotted her red hair in the corner of the room, leant against a wall and chatting with a tall, messy haired guy that Remus recognised to be James. He seemed to be smitten with her, ruffling his hair every so often and fiddling with his glasses. Remus had to admire Lily’s charisma.

“Here you go, I ordered it with grapefruit; trust me, it tastes really good.” Remus looked away from James and Lily to see Sirius back beside him, a drink in either hand. Remus took his drink with a shy smile and immediately took a large sip in an attempt to calm his nerves. They sat in silence for a long minute, Remus had already drunk half of his gin when Sirius finally spoke up.

“I saw you earlier, didn’t I? You were at the front when it was our set.” He took a gulp of his own drink, whisky on the rocks, and Remus nodded carefully.

“Yeah, I thought it was you! Didn’t realise you’d be at this party. Did you come with that girl you were with earlier? Is she your-“

“Not my girlfriend, no. My best friend.” Remus gave him a small smile. He was so used to the ‘Is that your girlfriend?’ comment that he could sense it coming miles away. He felt half embarrassed for cutting Sirius off so suddenly but the look of elation on Sirius’s face dissolved any unease.

“Ah, I see.” Sirius put his drink on the table, half empty, and then exclaimed so suddenly that Remus jumped in surprise, “Fuck! I haven’t even introduced myself yet,” He stuck his hand out for a handshake, “Sirius Black, It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Remus hesitated but then politely shook his hand, “Remus Lupin, it’s lovely to meet you too.” Sirius gripped his hand a little tighter before letting go and reaching for his drink again.

“Well, Remus, how did you enjoy the festival lineup today?” Sirius shook his whisky gently so the ice rattled against the glass and looked at Remus expectantly.

“It was fun. We were a bit late because I overslept, and then Lily forced me to miss breakfast but I stopped at a drive-through anyway so by the time we got there we had to run.” Remus paused to breathe and then realised he’d just blurted out a lot of information at once, and that the information was also an embarrassing recount of their horrific start to the morning.

“But you still managed to be right at the front?” Sirius looked like he was going to burst out laughing, but it wasn’t the nasty kind of laughter Remus was expecting, and it gave him a surge of confidence he wasn’t sure he had. “That’s so cute! How did you get past the crowd?”

“I channelled my inner Moses and parted them like the red sea,” Remus said solemnly, trying hard not to let himself grin.

“Ooh Bible puns, topical.” Sirius laughed and finished his drink, Remus followed suit and they both discarded them on the table.

* * *

 

 

They continued talking for what seemed like hours, Sirius seemed to find all of Remus’s bad puns extremely funny and Remus felt himself growing more and more confident with every shared laugh and every drink he finished. He’d completely forgotten about the rest of the party; the only thing that he was focused on was Sirius and the way the skin around his eyes crinkled when he laughed. Sirius had forgotten about his drink and was picking absentmindedly at a loose thread of one of the holes in his jeans while he recounted stories of his time on the road.

“So James and I were stuck. The coach was parked so tightly next to the other one that we couldn’t get out of the door for hours!” Sirius chuckled and rolled the palms of his hands on his knees. Remus finished his sixth drink a little too eagerly. As he placed his glass onto a spare spot on the table he heard a squeal and jumped up, startled.

“Oh my goodness! Sirius Black!” Two girls were swaying giddily in front of them, both of them grinning broadly at Sirius. Sirius sighed a little too audibly and then turned to face them, smiling politely.

“Yes? Can I help you?” Remus could detect a hint of irritation in his voice but it was glossed over by the girls, who looked delighted he had noticed their presence.

 “Hi! We loved your performance earlier.”

“Oh really? Well, I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves.” The tone of his voice threw Remus completely off; it had become uncharacteristically aristocratic, every syllable was pronounced perfectly.

“Could we buy you a drink?” Their eyes scanned Sirius hungrily and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Remus couldn’t help but feel a knot of disappointment tighten around his chest, he should have expected that this would happen sooner or later; Sirius would want to talk to them, they were beautiful and were very obviously interested in him. It didn’t help that the girls were completely blanking Remus as if he wasn’t there.

“That’s very kind of you. You seem like lovely ladies, but I’m afraid I’ve already got a drink.” As if to solidify his excuse, Sirius grabbed his drink from the table and tapped his bitten nails against the glass.

“Do you just want to chat then? I have some questions I’d love to ask you.” The taller of the two spoke up, her annoyance extremely obvious. The other girl sipped from her glass gingerly and let her friend do the talking. Remus tried to catch her eye but she was very good at avoiding eye contact. Sirius took a sip of his own drink and Remus could tell he was thinking of something to say.

“I’m sorry, but I’m sort of in the middle of a conversation already.” He gestured to Remus, who smiled meekly at them and began to get up. This was already too awkward without having to be brought into it.

“Wait! You’re leaving?” Sirius looked up at Remus sadly, his opulent manner completely gone. Remus didn’t really want to leave, but these girls didn’t seem to be giving up.

“S’alright. It was nice talking to you, but I don’t want to keep you from anything.” He caught himself slurring his words slightly; maybe it was time to find Lily. If he was tipsy, she would be roaring drunk by now. The girls seemed satisfied at this, taking Remus’s spot on the sofa immediately as Sirius ran his hands nervously through his hair. Remus turned and started to walk towards the bar but he felt someone clasp onto his arm and he stopped. Before he could say or do anything he felt a piece of paper being pressed into his hand. They let go of his arm. Remus didn’t turn back around or utter a word. He walked deeper into the party, a smile plastered on his face and his fingers clutching the piece of paper like his life depended on it.

* * *

 

Remus found Lily on the dance floor, staggering slightly and clinging to James’s arm for support. James just chuckled when Remus took Lily from him, taking her phone with Remus’s permission and adding his number to her contacts.

“Can I call you a taxi, mate?” He offered kindly after hearing Remus’s lisp-like slurs. Remus nodded and they left the party on the eighth floor to find the taxi waiting for them outside. Lily collapsed onto the backseat and Remus sat shotgun in case she threw up. They arrived back to their own hotel and after a minute of fumbling with the keys they were safely back in their room. They both fell onto their beds and, without even taking their shoes off, fell soundly asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're enjoying this so far, I know I'm enjoying writing about these nerds


	3. Phone numbers

Remus awoke to daylight pouring through their hotel room window and the whistling of the kettle from the corner of the room. Groggily, he sat up and rubbed his eyes harshly as they adjusted to the brightness. Lily was sat at the small wooden table by the kettle and mugs, hair wet from the shower and her face cleansed of last night’s makeup.

“Morning, Sleeping Beauty. What time do you call this?” She poured the boiled water from the kettle into two mugs and began the process of making coffee. Remus patted his pockets for his phone and checked; it was one o’clock in the afternoon.

“Mm, breakfast?”

“Not breakfast, Rem, it’s practically lunchtime. Here,” she passed him a mug of hot coffee and he accepted it graciously. After combing his hair through with one hand he stood up, kicking off his shoes and socks and emptying his pockets. He found a loose bit of paper deep in his back pocket and unfolded it curiously, taking a weak sip of his coffee while his brain adjusted.

_Call me if you want to continue this conversation, it was fun talking to you, Remus._

_Sirius x_

“Oh fuck.” He was holding Sirius Black’s phone number in his hands.

“What’s up? Did I get your coffee wrong? I thought you took your coffee black!” Lily hurried over to where Remus was curling up on the bed, his coffee deserted on the bedside table. She took the piece of paper that Remus waved in her face.

“OH MY GOD, REMUS.” She squealed and jumped on him, hugging him and giggling while he squirmed in protest. “I knew it! I’d like my twenty quid please.”

“Nope. Burn it, take it away from me, I can’t make a fool of myself.” Remus mumbled into the pillow. He felt a mixture of excitement and dread rushing through his veins and he wasn’t sure if it was making his head pound or if that was just the hangover. He wouldn’t dream of calling Sirius, he was awkward enough talking to people in person; on the phone was out of the question.

“But, Remus!” Lily pleaded, her wet hair dripping onto his face as she continued to pester him, “He’s obviously interested. You could at least give the guy a call.”

“And what if _‘the guy’_ is a lead singer for a bloody successful band? Lil, you know me. I’m impossible at dating. How am I supposed to go about dating a guy that tours the country constantly?” Remus sat up, pushing Lily off of himself gently and hugging his knees. He was in too deep now and he knew it. Eventually, he’d give in and call Sirius. Remus wondered if it was the right thing to do, what with Sirius being such a busy person. He probably wouldn’t want to be tied down and would end up breaking Remus’s heart.

“You’re already talking about dating! My little Remmie, head over heels.” Remus feigned gagging in disgust and Lily bopped his nose like he was a child. She went back over to her corner with her coffee and took a sip, unlocking her phone as she did so.

“Well, anyway. I have exciting news of my own.” Lily waited for Remus’s full attention. Remus reached for his coffee, being very careful at keeping his treasured scrap of paper out of danger. Lily looked excited to share the nuggets of information she had remembered from the night before. He couldn’t help but smile at how giddy she was when she got all excitable.

“Last night I talked to James, the bass player, and he was the nicest guy I’ve ever met!” She giggled when Remus narrowed his eyes jokingly. “The nicest guy after you, of course, kindly professor Lupin.”

“You treat me like I’m either five or fifty. Make up your mind, woman.” Remus got up and entered the bathroom to tidy himself up, knowing fully well Lily would follow him to tell him the whole story.

“He paid for all my drinks and told me cool stories about what the band get up to. He’s Sirius’s best friend, you know, they met in primary school.” Lily pulled up her contacts while Remus brushed his teeth vigorously, getting rid of the bitter alcohol aftertaste and his coffee breath.

“And he put his number on my phone! I don’t remember that part too much, though.” She showed Remus that James had put a little heart emoji next to his name.

“Ah, a modern day romance.” Remus wiped his face clean with a wet flannel and then dried himself off with the nearest towel. Lily flicked water at him from the tap. After Remus finally managed to get Lily out of the bathroom, she passed him his clean clothes and he got ready in peace. A few minutes later he emerged feeling well refreshed. Lily was sprawled out on her bed, typing away on her phone.

Remus wanted more than anything to talk to Sirius again, and it was comforting that Lily was in close contact with James. It made him feel a lot less out of his depth. He supposed it was almost two or three o’clock now, and they had to be out of the hotel room before dinner. While Lily giggled away to herself on her phone Remus began packing their things, feeling slightly disappointed that the weekend was coming to a close. Luckily for both of them, their classes had wrapped up for the term and they were on summer break. This weekend was just the opener for their seven weeks of freedom. Mostly freedom, if you didn’t count their Saturday jobs working at their local pub.

“James wants to know if we’d like to meet them for a drink.” Lily was already pulling on her converses as if it wasn’t really a question at all.

“Hang on, what do you mean ‘we’? I know I’m the ultimate wingman and all but I don’t feel up to third wheeling at the moment, Lil.”

“You tosser, Sirius is going to be there too.” She was smiling; she knew she’d won.

“Alright, go get the car.”

* * *

 

They’d stacked their small suitcases in the boot of the car and checked out of the hotel just in time. Remus was forced to drive as Lily was adamant she still felt rough from last night. Remus knew it was a load of bollocks really, but he didn’t hate driving so he didn’t fuss. They navigated their way through the bustling streets of London, heading out towards the River Thames. Lily had Google maps pulled up so Remus could ask for directions whenever. James had been a lad and had sent Lily their location. Eventually Lily told him they were close enough, so Remus parked in the nearest car park. They ended up forking out £25 for a ticket. Remus wasn’t happy.

They walked down the riverfront together, Lily constantly checking her phone for updates from James, who couldn’t seem to stop messaging Lily to make sure they were okay. Remus had to admit that the bars and cafes looked rather beautiful in the evening glow. As Lily reminded Remus they were getting closer to the bar James and Sirius were at, Remus felt himself getting more and more anxious. Lily noticed he was shaking and gripped his hand gently; the gesture calmed Remus down slightly. He’d give anything for a cigarette.

“Remus.” He looked across to see Lily giving him a stern look, but her voice was gentle. “You gave it up, remember?” She gripped his hand much tighter, forgetting all about her phone; Remus sometimes wondered if she could read minds.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. They enjoyed each other’s company. Whether they were walking, studying or just hanging out, the silence was a comfortable blanket that they shared. Lily’s phone broke the reflective mood, buzzing and rattling around in her bag. She made a frantic grab for it and answered; it was James.

“You’re on speaker!” Lily chimed, holding the phone in between herself and Remus.

“Hey. We’re sat outside and Sirius thinks he’s spotted you two. If you see a short weirdo jumping up and down; that’s him.”

Sure enough, they looked directly ahead and spotted Sirius waving frantically and bouncing like an overexcited puppy. Remus couldn’t help but laugh to himself as they reached their table. James looked embarrassed out of his mind and Sirius was leant against his chair, out of breath. James stood to hug Lily and pulled a chair up for both of them. They were huddled around a tiny round table, drinks already waiting for them. Sirius sat next to Remus, grinning but not saying anything. Remus took a sip of his drink, then forced himself not to rely on alcohol as a coping mechanism. He put the drink down and nudged it gently away from himself. 

Lily and James were already in a closed conversation, discussing things they’d mentioned on their text messages. Remus began to feel bad; he hadn’t called Sirius at all. Sirius seemed to be thinking that too.

“Did I give you the wrong number?” He joked, but his voice wavered with concern.

“Oh, no no no. I was just petrified about calling.” Remus smiled sheepishly, “Would you like my number too?” He got his phone out of his pocket quickly.

Sirius nodded, chewing on what was left of his index fingernail, and got his own phone out to put Remus into his contacts. At least Remus remembered to add Sirius’s number to his contacts earlier, so when Sirius texted him it came up as 'Sirius' straight away. Remus felt his nervousness melt away.

“So,” Sirius sat back in his chair, looking a lot more at ease, “Not too hungover this morning, I hope?” He chuckled and Remus stuck his tongue out at him playfully.

“Oh shut up, I wasn’t drunk. I wasn’t… _that_ drunk.” Remus rolled his eyes when Sirius scoffed. He leant forwards so his elbows were resting on the small table, watching Sirius finish his drink. “How did you get on with those two girls? Y’know, the ones that looked like they wanted to kidnap you.”

“A lot of girls want to kidnap me, Remus.” Sirius lifted his head in mock arrogance. “Don’t you?”

“Not particularly, you look like hard work. I’m sure I’d return you a day later with a note that said ‘changed my mind’.”

“Oh, I can be hard work if you want me to be, Lupin." Sirius leant forward and Remus’s elbow slipped off the table, causing him to stumble. Sirius leant back and let out a hearty laugh. “Look at you, all flustered! You’re adorable.”

Remus sat back up straight, feeling hot flushes burn his cheekbones. Sirius smiled up at him through heavy eyelids. Fuck morals; Remus needed a drink. He drained his glass, fully aware that Sirius was still watching him, grinning like an idiot at how much he was making Remus blush. Was it humanly possible to be this much of a flirt? Sirius Black was going for the record, it seemed. Lily and James seemed to be in their own little bubble, but Remus soon popped it. He needed Lily’s support. Lily looked from Remus to Sirius and seemed to understand immediately. Her nostrils flared as she tried not to smile and she managed to power through.

“James, I don’t suppose you’ve properly met my best friend Remus yet, have you?”

“We met last night, for a couple of seconds. But I’ll formally introduce myself.” James smiled and stuck out his hand for a handshake which Remus reached out to take it.

“I wouldn’t if I were you, Remus. You don’t know where those hands have been.”

“Oi! Says you, wanker. We’ve been touring together for how long now? 4 years? Want me to get out the list?” It seemed that James had forgotten formalities and instead directed a rude gesture at Sirius, who tutted in response.

“Oh, Prongsie, you wouldn’t would you? Not in front of your nice lady friend.” They both seemed prepared to spill some information that Remus and Lily were sure they didn’t want to know.

“Honestly, boys, you’re like a couple of twelve-year-olds.” Lily shook her head, letting half of a laugh escape her lips. Remus was so confused. He wasn’t sure which side of Sirius attracted him most.

“By the way, Padfoot, Reg called me earlier and said you weren’t picking up. You know how worked up he’ll get if you don't call back.” James took his glasses off to massage the bridge of his nose. Sirius scoffed.

“I know, but I was waiting for a very important call. He understands, surely?” Sirius huffed and gestured to Remus as if that explained it perfectly. “The little git’ll have to wait.”

“In case you’ve forgotten, mate, he’s our tour manager and we actually have to listen to him.”

“Wasn’t like that back home. The eldest gets first say, that’s how it’s always been.” Sirius pulled out a packet of tobacco and some filters and made a space on the table to start rolling himself a cigarette. The familiar smell hit Remus hard and he held his breath. He turned to Lily and James and saw Lily giving Sirius a disapproving look.

“What?” Sirius mumbled around the filter he’d stuck in his mouth so that it didn’t blow away. Remus dug his nails into his palms. It didn’t help that Sirius looked attractive doing practically anything. His nimble fingers, calloused from years of guitar, were rolling up the paper like second nature.

“Do you have to do that here?” Lily asked, reaching for Remus’s hand under the table, which didn’t seem to help.

“Does it bother you? I’ll go over there with it, I’m just rolling.” Sirius caught Remus staring at the cigarette that was hanging from his lips. “You want one, Remus?”

“No, he doesn’t! Do you, Rem?” She looked at Remus, her eyes searching his. Remus didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t smoked in months, but that was only because Lily had pestered him so much about it that he’d given in and said he’d try again. Not like she didn’t have the occasional cigarette or joint at parties; hypocrite. Sirius was looking at him expectantly.

“ _’Don’t give into peer pressure’_ they said.” Remus chuckled to himself and beckoned Sirius to pass him stuff to roll with. “I’m a terrible example.”

“Yes, you are!” Lily huffed and let go of his hand, “That was the longest you’d gone without one!” She looked at James for support but he just shrugged.

Remus looked up from the table and rolled his eyes, “Just the one, Lil. Promise.”

“I suppose this means you won’t be joining us then, Lily?” Sirius was playing with his lighter whilst Remus was fully absorbed in his rolling. Lily shook her head firmly but seemed to have given up on discouraging Remus. They both got up when Remus presented his rolled cigarette proudly, leaving James and Lily to continue their conversation.

“I’m still the best roller in the Britain, it seems.” Remus grinned, and Sirius pretended to look offended as they walked a little further along the riverfront. They eventually found a bench to sit at, away from other people. Sirius flipped open his lighter and flicked it twice until the gas was alight, letting the short flame light his cigarette. Remus put the filter end in his mouth and leant forward expectantly for Sirius to light his too. Remus took a long draw, holding the smoke in his lungs to let it dissolve his worries and nerves and then blowing it back out to mix with the humid breeze. He closed his eyes and continued to suck on the filter, leaning back against the bench and feeling calmer than he had in a long time.

“You know," Sirius mumbled around the lit cigarette in his mouth, "I didn't take you for a smoker. How long have you smoked?” He'd also slouched back happily on the bench, holding his cigarette in between his index and middle finger as smoke left his lungs. Remus took another puff before replying.

“Looks can be deceiving. I was fifteen when all my friends started smoking, but I didn’t really properly smoke until I left school.” He flicked some ash onto the floor carelessly. Looking over his shoulder, he could just about see James and Lily sat at their table outside the bar. When Remus looked back at Sirius he was blowing faint smoke rings that were being quickly dispersed by the wind.

“I started when I was fourteen. Looking back, it was pretty shifty, but I went to a posh boarding school and James and I relished in being the school rebels.” Sirius smiled at the memory and blew some more smoke that caught Remus in the face. “James gave up when we finished our exams. I never managed to quit.”

Remus gazed at him intently. Last night at the party had been fun, and Sirius had told him some interesting stories, but this evening was different. Without the music, the mass amount of people, the chatter and the interruptions, Remus felt a lot more like himself and found that Sirius was too.

“I suppose your rock star lifestyle doesn’t help either.” Remus mused, watching as his paper and tobacco burnt down to the yellowing filter quickly. Sirius sighed, putting out his burnt filter and flicking it away; Remus did the same.

“There’s a lot of shit that my lifestyle encourages. I’m just glad I’ve had James to keep me together. Peter helps too I suppose, but it’s not the same. That, and he’s off his head on coke most of the time.”

“Jesus Christ.” Remus had come across coke at parties, but it never interested him. He didn’t even want to imagine having to depend on the powder. Sirius just gave him a knowing look and shrugged.

“He’s an alright bloke, though. Moved to our secondary school in year nine and trailed along beside me and James for years. When we found out he could play the drums we formed a band, thinking we’d be cool. And here we are today.” Sirius tucked a loose curl behind his ear and heaved himself onto his feet. He reached a hand out for Remus who accepted it, although he was perfectly capable of getting up on his own. Sirius’s hand was freezing compared to Remus’s warm one.

They began to walk back to the bar, and Remus realised Sirius’s hand was still clutching his. A thought that he’d pushed to the back of his brain resurfaced.

“Do you like guys then?” Remus blurted out, and mentally kicked himself. As if it wasn’t obvious.

“Finally! I was beginning to get worried. I’ve been throwing myself at you all evening; of course I do.”

Remus couldn't wipe the smile off of his face as they sat back down with James and Lily. Sirius started to talk to James. Lily, always being able to tell what was on Remus's mind, asked Remus to tell her everything later. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not trying to encourage smoking! Smoking is bad for your health, just like any other kind of drug. Rem and Sirius are bad role models


	4. tour bus

After a couple of drinks, Sirius decided the night was still young and invited Remus and Lily to chill out with them in their tour bus. Lily looked delighted to glimpse into the living space of the band members and Remus was glad he didn’t have to say goodbye just yet. They followed the leads of James and Sirius until they spotted a large black coach with tinted windows and a set of double doors at each end. Pacing outside the coach was a young looking guy, with dark curls trimmed neatly just above his ears. When he spotted Sirius and James he cursed loudly, shaking his head and glaring at the pair as they caused a commotion.

“Regulus! What’s up, little brother, miss us too much?” Sirius tried to throw his arm around his brother but was shoved away. Remus noticed that Regulus had the same features as Sirius; sharp cheekbones and almond shaped eyes, except that Regulus’s were a dark blue instead of smoky grey. He also had tiny freckles dotting the bridge of his nose. Remus caught his eye and tried a friendly smile, which Regulus returned meekly before rounding on James and Sirius like he was their mother that’d caught them sneaking out past curfew.

“Where have you two been? I told you that you’re not supposed to go gallivanting around London whilst we’re here. It doesn’t matter that we’re here all summer.” He added quickly when Sirius opened his mouth to respond, “I can’t have the press finding out what you get up to, Uncle Alphard would have my head.”  

“Relax, Reggie. A couple of small bars won’t get us in any trouble. What are we supposed to do, stay locked up in that big black furnace?” Sirius gestured wildly to the tour bus and James shuddered as if remembering a horrific memory. Looking up at the tinted windows Remus could just about make out the tiny round head of Peter peeking out the window to witness Sirius and James getting scolded.

“Oh yeah, ‘ _a couple of small bars’_. What a load of bollocks. You’ve been spotted loads already- oh and you’ve been _arrested_ already, Sirius.”

“Alright, listen that was Peter’s dope, I was just holding it for him. The things I do for you lot I swear to- “He was cut off by Regulus’s phone ringing loudly. Regulus glanced at his phone and suddenly looked nauseous. He mouthed ‘uncle’ and Sirius grabbed his phone quickly, answering it for his frozen brother.

“What’s up, Uncle? Me? Staying out of trouble? Don’t be preposterous!” Sirius gave an apologetic glance towards Remus and the others and went around to the other side of the bus with Regulus, talking into the phone animatedly. James turned to Lily and Remus, chuckling.

“He might be a while. How about I give you the grand tour?” He pointed regally towards the automatic doors and stepped aside for Lily. “Ladies first.”

Lily sized up the doors briefly, waving a hand in front of them to see if they opened. When nothing happened, James passed her his laminated ID card and she swiped it through a card reader by the side. The doors hissed and slowly opened, folding themselves out of the way so that the three of them could climb a steep couple of steps easily. They saw James quickly grab something off of one of the sofas and throw it up the stairs out of sight.

“Um, you didn’t need to see that. Someone,” James coughed, and Remus swore he heard the name ‘Sirius’. “Likes to treat this bus like one big laundry basket. No respect, that one.” He looked around the interior, scratching his head and pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Well, this is it. Home sweet home.”

It was pretty spacious for a tour bus. The walkway seemed to be able to fit two people easily, so it wouldn’t get tedious moving about. There was a lounge area at the very back with plush black cushions and space for plenty of people. A small rectangular table was in the middle of the plush sofas that was covered with tobacco, empty bottles and a half a line of powder. Remus also spotted a fairly large glass bong underneath the table. Peter was sat by the large HD TV that was mounted on the back wall, no longer looking out the window at them now that they were inside. He was busying himself with his phone. James clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly greeting and Peter jumped out of his skin.

“Alright, Pete? This here is Lily and Remus. We met them last night.” James left them with Peter to tidy up, picking up bottles and plates and taking them to their small kitchen that was built into the wall. Peter smiled up at them, putting his phone down to give them his full attention.

“Hi. Did you meet those two at that party? That explains why I was told to bugger off for the night, then.” Peter sniggered and gestured for them to sit down. “I don’t mind what Jamie and Siri get up to, so long as they don’t piss about with my shit, you know?” Lily and Remus nodded politely in response.

“I didn’t see you at the party. Did you have fun anyways? I apologise on both of our behalves for getting you ditched.” Remus chuckled and Peter just shrugged, grinning.

“Don’t worry, mate. I don’t remember any of it.” He sniffed and reached for a rolled up £20 note. “Would either of you like a bump or a line?”

“Not particularly.” Lily turned up her nose and looked to James, who hurried over at once.

“Pete, no more of that today. We’ve got guests now.” He plucked the note out of Peter’s hand and put it in his pocket, leaving Peter no choice but to gather his powder back up into a small bag with great difficulty. Sirius hadn’t been exaggerating.

They heard boots clomping loudly up the entrance stairs and then Sirius appeared, smiling proudly while Regulus trailed behind him and then disappeared upstairs to leave Sirius with his guests.

“Talked Reg out of ‘trouble’. Uncle Alphard loves me, so it wasn’t too hard.” Sirius jumped down next to Remus on the sofa, sitting cross-legged and gazing up into Remus’s face. “Miss me?”

Remus rolled his eyes playfully. “Oh _man_. I thought you’d gone for good. Lily quick, let’s get out of here.” He didn’t even go to move, but Sirius was already wrapped around his waist, holding him tightly and burying his face in Remus’s lap.

“Don’t go!” He whined while Remus tried half-heartedly to escape his grasp. “We were gonna have a cool bus party and everything.” Sirius detached himself from Remus, whose cheeks were burning because everyone was watching. He heard Lily giggling behind him and spun around to shove her jokingly.

“Alright, ‘little miss abstinence’, you’re no saint.” Remus ducked when she took a swipe at his head, still giggling uncontrollably. Soon everyone was play-fighting. James and Sirius were taking it extremely serious, fighting to ‘the death’; which only meant the loser would have to do the washing up all month. Remus, having known Lily for most of his life, knew her weaknesses and began tickling her mercilessly. Peter was pulled into the wrestling match between James and Sirius when James yelled at him to referee. They had limited space in the narrow bus walkway and the table in the lounge took up all floor space. Remus paused from tickling Lily to watch Sirius grab James in a headlock and mess up his hair more than it already was. Lily took this advantage to overpower Remus while he was distracted. He was shoved backwards onto the sofa and his T-shirt had ridden up, exposing his stomach and part of his chest. He hadn’t noticed that everyone had stopped and was staring at him.

“Oh my God, Remus I’m sorry! I forgot all about- I’m sorry!” Lily covered her mouth, horror-struck. Sirius went limp and dropped James who stumbled to his feet. Remus quickly pulled his T-shirt back down.

“What happened to you?” Sirius said softly. James and Peter seemed to be thinking the same thing. Even Regulus had appeared on the stairs, curious as to why the commotion had stopped so suddenly. Remus sighed and curled up on himself. Lily shook her head when James gave her a questioning look.

“It’s for Remus to say- if he wants to at all.” The words sounded so rehearsed, but then again Remus supposed she was used to the questions.

“They’re just scars,” Remus muttered stubbornly, hating the attention.  

“You’ve got some on you face too, I noticed when I met you.” Sirius had sat by his side, leaving James to hover in the walkway on his own. He reached up to trace the faint scar that went across Remus’s nose.

Remus flinched away from Sirius’s touch on instinct. He sighed and took a deep breath, and everyone leant in to listen. “Okay. On my fourth birthday, my parents planned to take me to this big adventure park that had just opened up. It was a three-hour drive, and me being four, I got bored quickly.” There was a moment of hesitation before he continued.

“When we were on the motorway, I managed to unbuckle my car seat and stood up on the back seat. My dad was pulling into the fast lane when my mum realised I was unbuckled.” He stopped, clutching Lily’s hand before wanting to continue. “My dad got distracted by my mums screaming, and he let go of the wheel. The car was sucked up under a truck that was behind us. My mum died on impact.”

Everyone was silent. Remus felt his free hand being picked up gently by Sirius.

“I’m really sorry, Remus. I can’t even imagine.” James was the first to speak up, his face contorted with sadness. Remus was used to the formalities he received when he mentioned his mother. Hope Lupin had been a kind, eccentric woman and although he didn’t remember her completely, he grew up with his family showering her with praise even in death.

“It’s a miracle you survived a crash like that, what with having no seat belt on.” Sirius’s voice was no more than a whisper. He was staring down at Remus’s hand, which was bigger than his own.

“I have the same blood type as my mum. Without her blood, I would have died,” Remus said it all calmly. He hated talking about the accident, it hadn’t gotten any easier over the years to deal with. At least he was used to explaining the scars that littered his body. The worst of them had healed greatly over the years, but when he was ten years old the doctors decided to tell him they’d never disappear completely.

Remus finally looked up and smiled reassuringly. This seemed to give everyone a chance to breathe again, as they had all gone rigid whilst listening. James let out a nervous laugh and Lily rested her head on Remus’s shoulder.

“Well, that’s enough of that.” Remus sat up straight and got his hands back from Sirius and Lily’s grasps. “I didn’t mean to make you all depressed or anything; let’s do something.” He looked from Sirius to James for ideas, but they shrugged.

“We’ve got plenty of drinks and grass here, but that’s about all there is to do.” James shrugged and reached for the bong underneath the table. Sirius laughed as James grabbed a lighter and held it to the bowl, inhaling the vapour that rose up the chamber. His glasses steamed up slightly as he lowered the mouthpiece.  

“They called him Pothead Potter in school, you know.” Said Sirius, who motioned for James to pass to him. James held up a hand that told him to wait and took another drawn out hit before passing to Sirius and slouching back on the sofa contently.

“Leave me alone, you make it sound like I was high for most of my education.” James stretched out and rested his long legs on Peter’s lap, much to Peter’s protests.

“Well, weren’t you?”

“That’s neither here nor there.”

There was a small clatter from the kitchen and Remus looked up to see Regulus washing up plates and cups, quietly humming to himself in the dim lights. Remus heaved himself off of the comfy cushioned sofa and went to help him, ignoring the questioning look Sirius gave him. Regulus acknowledged his presence and soon he was passing plates to Remus to dry up. He liked the quietness of the task, and the buzz of laughter and chatter in the background from the others was relaxing, in a way. Remus needed the distraction because explaining his hated scars to some people he’d only just met had taken a toll on his anxiety. They’d been sympathetic enough, but he couldn’t shake the horrible thoughts of Sirius deleting his number in disgust. Also, if he’d ruined Lily’s chances with James he would never forgive himself.

“I’m sorry about your mum, by the way,” Regulus spoke up after 5 minutes of silence between the two, though he didn’t look up from the soapy water in the sink. Remus took another plate from him and dried it with the tea towel.

“It’s fine, really. But thanks.”

Regulus looked up and smiled gently, his smile so much like Sirius’s but also so different. When Sirius smiled he radiated confidence, happiness and a carefree aura. Regulus’s was shy and hesitant. Like someone pushed to the side in favour of his brother’s limelight, Remus thought sadly.

“I haven’t had a chance to introduce myself, have I?” Regulus spoke with the epitome of mannerisms, searching Remus’s honey brown eyes. “I’m Regulus Black, but don’t call me that. Honestly, my family couldn’t have just chosen a normal name. Call me Reg, or something.”

Remus suddenly made the connection between the brothers and their names. “Sirius and Regulus… Like the stars?”

Regulus looked up from the sink and scoffed. “Yeah, most of my family are named after stars or constellations. I guess it’s cool in theory, but most of my cousins are miserable with their names.”

“Well, I took Latin in secondary school and still take it in Uni. So I know exactly what to call you if you insist Regulus is so bad.” Remus smirked, stacking the plates neatly and looking back to see Regulus gazing curiously at him.

“And what’s that?”

“’Little King’.” Whether Regulus liked it or not, and based on the look of mixed horror and amusement on his face he wasn’t completely on board, Remus was now going to call him the Latin meaning of his name.

“I don’t even know your name and you’re already bullying me.” Regulus faked a sob and Remus grinned.

“Sorry, I completely forgot. I’m Remus Lupin. And I have no problem with my name.”

“Remus, huh? Are you a twin or something?” Regulus handed him the final plate and Remus dried it quickly to stack it with the others. He was used to people that were familiar with the story of Remus and Romulus asking him if he had a twin brother with the other name. Unfortunately, this was not the case. When he’d asked his dad why they’d named him Remus, His dad merely shrugged and said something about their Italian heritage being important to his mother.

“Nope. Only child, I’m afraid. My dad never remarried.” He shrugged, watching the water and bubbles swirl down the drain. Regulus opened his mouth to respond, but just as quickly stopped mid-word and looked down. Remus was wrapped into a surprise hug from behind and felt Sirius’s nose press into his shoulder.

“Remus, you’re missing all the fun!” His voice was muffled as he spoke into the fabric of his T-shirt and Remus could smell weed on him from a mile. In fact, the entire coach was swimming with smoke and the fumes were making his eyes water. He turned back to the lounge area and saw James egging Lily on to see how much smoke she could take in a single hit.

“Fucking hell. You can’t hotbox the bus, Sirius. Open a window or something.” Remus untangled himself from the smaller man and tried to locate the window handles. Regulus got there first, opening all the bottom floor windows as far as possible without passers-by being able to see in. Then he made for the stairs again, clearly wanting to be out of the way. Surprisingly, Sirius was the one to speak up before Remus had a chance.

“Reg? Stop sulking off and come and join us, I want to show the others that you can smoke a joint and a cig at the same time without coughing.” Sirius stuck his hands into the pockets of his bomber jacket and gazed at Regulus with eyes of steel. Regulus shrugged and turned on his heel, following his brother and Remus as they all went and sat back down.

“I did that _one_ time, Siri. And only because dad almost found my stash. Would have been a waste of perfectly good grain otherwise.” Regulus sat perched on the edge of the sofa next to Remus, looking nonplussed at the antics of Sirius and James; they were blowing smoke into each other faces and inhaling as if trying to share a high. Remus didn’t take long with his hits when he was passed the bong from Lily, who was feeling lightheaded and couldn’t stop giggling with James. He insisted that he found weed boring, but wasn’t rude enough to turn the offer down. Regulus took the bong like it was second nature to him, exhaling clouds of vapour out of his nostrils lazily whilst Sirius whooped and cheered for him, swelling with pride.

After about half an hour, most of the weed was gone and they’d all become too drowsy to move. Sirius was lying face first on top of Remus’s stomach and Lily was on James’s lap, swaying happily. Peter was fast asleep and Regulus was scrolling on his phone. When Remus asked him for the time he glanced up and told him it was about one o’clock in the morning.

“Still early then.” Mumbled Sirius stubbornly, whose face was still buried in Remus’s torso like he was a pillow. He sat up and shook his mess of curls out of his face. “Let’s go for a walk!”

“Oh yeah, a walk in London at 1 AM. Do you _want_ to get robbed at knife-point?” Regulus looked at his older brother like he was out of his mind.

“Fine then, wanker, you don’t have to come. It’s past your bedtime anyways.” Sirius leapt to his feet and straightened his clothes. “James, Lily, Remus. You’re all up for it, yeah?” James lifted Lily off of his lap and got up, grinning.

“I’m always up for a bit of mischief, mate.” He grabbed his glasses and his phone from the table and joined Sirius, who was stood waiting by the doors. Remus and Lily exchanged glances and smiled, neither of them was prepared to call it a night yet.

Sirius hopped on one foot to the next excitedly. “Excellent! There’s strength in numbers, after all.”

They stepped out of the coach and onto the pavement after waving Regulus goodbye, leaving him to tend to a snoring Peter. The fresh air hit Remus almost immediately and he gulped it down gratefully. London looked completely different in the early hours of the morning, there weren’t many people walking down the pavements as there were during midday. Their surroundings were illuminated by the dim glow that emitted from the tall street lamps or from the occasional car driving past. They were in a quieter area so there weren’t many bright lights or groups of people on nights out. It was as peaceful as London could get. They walked down the street until they were far away from the tour bus, James was carrying a sleepy Lily on his back while Sirius bounded ahead of them all like a puppy. Remus craned his neck to see over the tall buildings in the distance and could just about see the shadow of the sun as it began to rise up, bringing a red haze with it. He yawned dramatically and caught up with Sirius, who was twirling in circles and letting his voice ring out in the open air.

“I love London! I also hate London, but that’s only on press events.” Sirius let his head loll back and looked up at Remus, who was grinning from ear to ear. “What’s so funny?”

“You. You’re just so…”

“Amazing? Brilliant? Good-looking?” Sirius batted his eyelashes and Remus rolled his eyes. A sudden urge to kiss the curly haired rock star in front of him pulled at his heart and the alcohol and weed in his system took the bait. Remus grabbed him by the waist and leant down to brush his chapped lips against Sirius's briefly, giving him no time to react.

“You’re too modest.” Remus joked as he let Sirius go. He gazed up into Remus’s face in a daze, mouth hanging open as if he was about to say something but thought better of it at the last minute. “What’s this? Have I made the mouthy Sirius Black speechless?”

Sirius shook his head, smiling. He reached for Remus's hand without a word and intertwined their fingers; Remus’s hand greatly covering Sirius’s smaller one. “I’m so glad I saw you again at that party.” He said softly, his boisterous manner from before dissolving into the humid summer air. Remus was looking at Sirius’s long hair, wondering if it was long enough for him to braid. He’d ask to braid it next time they see each other, he thought. But when would that be?

James turned around from where he was ahead of them, his back bent slightly as he carried Lily’s full weight. She was fast asleep on his shoulder, her fingers tangled in his dark mess of hair. He stood to wait until Remus and Sirius caught up. They’d walked in a straight line down row after row of terrace houses. The tour bus was just about visible from the end of the street.

“I’m not sure what time it is, but Lily’s asleep and, as light as she is, I can’t carry her much further.” James tried to lift her up gently without waking her. “Shall we call it a night and head back?”

“Sure, but I’m not sure how Lil and I are going to get home yet.” Remus sighed and wondered vaguely if they’d gotten a parking ticket. They’d have to walk all the way back to the car and Remus wasn’t entirely sure if he could find it at this time.

“You’re not going home now, silly. You can sleep on the bus with us. We have spare bunks.” Sirius beamed and Remus felt another one of his worries melt away. He wouldn’t have been able to make the long drive back to Oxford anyway, and Lily was out cold for the night. Remus squeezed Sirius’s hand in a tired attempt at a thanks and Sirius seemed to understand completely.

They found their way back and collapsed into the bus in exhaustion. Regulus had gone to his own bunk but Peter was still soundly asleep on the sofa. Sirius and James led the way up the stairs to the second floor and showed Remus the empty bunk that was underneath Sirius’s. They exchanged goodnights and James tucked up Lily into the bunk opposite Remus before going to his own. The lights went off and everyone was soon drifting into unconsciousness, their minds racing with thoughts about what they’d get up to in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've managed to balance coursework with writing! Feedback is always appreciated. The next couple of chapters should be a bit more exciting.


	5. back home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry its been a little while, but here's a new chapter for you all! I use up all my free time writing but I'm still a bit slow because of coursework, sorry in advance.

 “Reeemus, wake up.”

Remus stirred from behind the bunk’s thin curtain, turning on his stomach and burying his face in the pillow. Sirius’s voice sounded too chipper for the morning. “G’me five more minutes,” he mumbled groggily. His mouth felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool and his head was aching. Maybe, if he tried hard enough, he could sleep it off.

“No way. Everyone else is up and eating breakfast,” Sirius paused, and then the curtain was pulled open, letting daylight pour into Remus’s dark sleeping space. Remus groaned and reluctantly turned on his side to face Sirius, who was smiling broadly. his hair was scraped back into a bun so only a few loose curls that refused to be tamed brushed against his face, “If you’re gonna be all dramatic about it, budge up and I’ll keep you company.”

Remus obliged, scooting against the wall so that Sirius could settle into a small space. These bunks obviously weren’t made for two and it didn’t help that Remus’s long legs took up a lot of the room.

“Hi,” He whispered, feeling silly that they were squashed into a small bunk. Sirius laughed, their noses almost touching as they faced each other. Remus was having a hard time keeping his eyes open, so Sirius’s face was a soft blur until they adjusted. Remus’s eyes were crusted with sleep dust and he felt extremely self-conscious; he reminded himself to breathe through his nose until he could brush his teeth thoroughly.

“Are you always this lazy in a morning?” Sirius asked, wriggling his legs in a rhythm against Remus’s because it seemed like he couldn’t even lay still for more than a second. Remus merely nodded mid-yawn, trying his best to stretch his tired limbs in his cramped space. Sirius continued to wriggle. “Your mate’s already had a shower, gone out to do the food shopping with James and made us all breakfast. She’s pretty cool.”

“Yeah, Lily’s awesome like that. She can get anything done.” Remus had always relied on Lily to get him up in time for classes, as she got up at six A.M. regardless of what day it was. She was the reason Remus managed to function on a daily basis. He wasn’t sure he’d even remember to eat without her. Remus caught Sirius staring at him, and forced himself not to lean in for a kiss. He’d need to brush his teeth first. “Okay, I’m awake enough. Let me out please.” Sirius nodded and rolled out of the bunk, thudding onto the spacious walkway and clambering to his feet. Remus slid out too, though a lot more gracefully, whilst being careful not to hit his head.

“So, what does Mr. Lupin eat for breakfast? Toast? Cereal?”

“Depends what’s there, Mr. Black. I don’t suppose Lily remembered to get bacon?” Remus sniffed the air hopefully, but he couldn’t catch the familiar scent of bacon in the morning. Sirius shook his head sadly. “After the last incident, Reg banned us from using the oven. We microwave everything now.” Remus wasn’t sure he wanted to know what ‘the last incident’ meant. Sirius gestured for him to follow and they headed down the stairs, stepping into the lounge area, which was abandoned now and in need of tidying up after their antics last night. Remus spotted Lily, James and Peter at the other end of the coach by a small dining table. James had been a true gentleman and had given up his seat for Lily to eat her cereal. She dropped her spoon into her bowl unceremoniously when she saw Remus, which splashed a half-asleep Peter in the face with milk. Lily apologised quickly to Peter and then jumped up to greet Remus with a warm hug, her short stature making it so her face was buried in his chest. Sirius stepped around them, bounding over to pounce on an unsuspecting James who was almost finished with his apple.

“Fuck sake, Pads. How are you _this_ energetic at,” He glanced at the silver watch on his wrist, “Ten o’clock in the morning?”

“I haven’t taken my ADHD medication yet, arsehole. You forgot to remind me because you were too busy with-“

“James! Could you do me a favour and help me pack the food away? I don’t know which things go in which cupboard,” Lily said hastily, flushing almost as red as her hair. Sirius and Peter both sniggered and James hurried over to show Lily where they stored their food. Remus eyed them suspiciously; he’d definitely get all the information out of Lily when they were alone.

“Come and sit next to me, Remus!” Sirius waved his spoon and bounced on his plastic dining chair. Remus bit back a laugh and took Peter’s seat as Peter got up to watch TV on the sofa.

“You haven’t taken your medication yet? You should take it now before you forget.” Remus couldn’t help but worry after what Sirius had said to James, he knew how important it was to take medication at the right time. Sirius shrugged, chewing his cereal slowly and swallowing before responding.

“I guess. I’ll eat first.” He continued to shovel down his breakfast. Remus sighed inwardly and began picking at his own bowl of Coco-Puffs; they had gone soggy because he’d left them so long. He gave up after a few mouthfuls. He wasn’t that hungry and Sirius had long since finished anyway. As much as Sirius was adamant that he’d wait for Remus to finish eating, his impatience was visible as he was using two spoons to drum to one of his own songs on the plastic table.

“Okay, I’m done. Take your meds now.” Remus stood and folded his arms, watching as Sirius got out his prescription and swallowed two capsules dry. He looked up triumphantly at Remus afterwards and waited to be praised. Remus merely bopped his nose gently with his index and went to join Lily on the sofa; Sirius was trailing behind him like a lost pup.

 “Hey, Rem. Sorry about the cereal, but it’s your fault for sleeping in,” Lily edged up the sofa a little so Remus could sit down. Sirius sat himself down on Remus’s knee.

“What?” He batted his eyelashes innocently when Remus gave him a look, “There're no other spaces free.”

“There’s a space next to me, Siri.” Peter patted a small corner of the sofa that was unoccupied. Sirius pretended not to hear. Remus shook his head and turned to speak to Lily, who was giggling uncontrollably.

“So, Father Christmas, ask the nice boy what he wants this year.” Lily nudged him and winked.

“Fuck off.” Remus sank back into the sofa in embarrassment as Sirius made a crude gesture involving his hand and his mouth. Lily and Sirius both burst out laughing while Remus buried his face in his palms.

James leant over Lily from where he was sat on the sofa and tutted, “aw, leave Remus alone. Look at the poor guy.” Remus looked up from his hands to thank James for his support.

“Give us something to do then, Prongs. I’m _bored_.” Sirius bounced absent-mindedly on Remus’s knee. James scratched his head and glanced around.

“Well, Reg is out for the day to meet up with your uncle about how tour’s gone so far, so I guess we could go for our own family outing.” James grinned and Sirius jumped to his feet, his face lighting up.

“We’re going to visit mum and dad?”

“Yeah, they’re back from Greece. Mum says she wants to see us before we’re back on the road.”

“Hang on,” Lily interrupted, looking as confused as Remus felt, “You’re not brothers, are you?” James and Sirius exchanged smirks.

“Sirius is as good as a brother to me. He left home at sixteen and my parents took him in. I mean, it wasn’t a big deal as he spent most of his time at our house back then anyway.”

“My parents are the biggest nutters in the world. Told me I’d get nowhere with my music and that I’d end up dead in a gutter somewhere. Changed their minds though, didn’t they? After Uncle Alphard started up an independent record label and signed our band, they wanted everything to do with me.” Sirius shook his head in disgust.

“Alphard convinced Reg to work for him, and that got him away from the power-hungry inbreeders.” James took a sip of coffee, looking quite pleased with his insult directed at Sirius’s parents. “Hey, remember that time they said you weren’t bisexual because it wasn’t ‘real’ and you were just being ‘greedy’?”

Sirius gazed dramatically into the distance, pretending to reminisce. “Such fond memories. They sent threats at you for _months_ because they thought we were together.”

“Good times.”

Remus and Lily caught each other’s eye. They were sat in-between Sirius and James, but it didn’t seem to stop the two talking across them. Lily nudged him and motioned towards the door. Fresh air sounded like a good idea to Remus, so he nodded and they stepped out into the slightly chilly morning air. Lily hugged her arms to her body in an attempt to keep warm. It was at that moment Remus realised that they had no idea where the car was, and their suitcases were inside it. He desperately wanted to change out of his current clothes and tidy himself up.

“We’ve got to go home some time, Rem.” Lily muttered, seeming to know exactly what was on his mind again. “I don’t want to leave any more than you do. But we can’t follow them around forever. I need a clean pair of underwear and my deodorant.” She sighed, scuffing her shoe on the curb.

“I know. All good things must come to an end. We better find the car.” He glanced back at the tour bus again but the tinted windows were impossible to see through clearly. “Shall we go tell them we’re leaving?”

“Yeah, of course. Anyway, it’s not like we’re going forever; we have their numbers.” Lily smiled, climbing back up the steps. Remus followed her, lingering slightly. He really didn’t want to go home. Of course, he missed his own bed and his usual routine, but the weekend had been the most fun he’d had in a long time. Sirius was wonderful; full of energy, incredibly handsome and easy to talk to. Remus tended to steer clear of dating because all the guys he ended up with were douchebags. Lily tried her best to help him out when she could, in the end he’d just given up. But, Sirius reminded Remus of how boyfriends should be. He was genuinely interested, and even though they had only known each other a few days, he seemed to care for Remus.

Sirius and James were still wrapped up in conversation, but Remus got the impression that the topic had strayed from parents. Their heads were bent together and Sirius was speaking in a low voice, his leg rocking in a fast-paced rhythm. Remus noticed Sirius tended to move in rhythms, especially when he was excited, bored or thinking.

They jumped apart when they noticed Lily and Remus had come back in and grinned guiltily. Remus wished he could question them, but he supposed they shouldn’t put off the fact that they needed to leave.

“Hey, so Rem and I really need to find the car and head back.” Said Lily, smiling sheepishly. James’s face fell in disappointment, but he nodded in understanding. Sirius jumped up in protest, looking to Remus for a reason that he could stay. Remus shrugged, trying not to let his sadness show too much. Sirius looked like he’d just been told his pet had passed away.

“We’ll meet again soon, though, right?” Sirius pleaded, wringing his hands, “Where do you guys live?”

“Oxford. About an hour away.”

“Oxford! James, haven’t we got a show at the Oxford O2 next weekend?” Sirius’s face lit up, his usual excitement taking control of his body again. James scratched his head and thought hard before replying.

“I think so. You’d have to ask Reg.” James moved towards Lily and they kissed goodbye; she was blushing profusely when they broke apart.

Sirius leapt forward too and pulled Remus into a hug that lasted for a long time. Remus was contemplating not letting go until they were pulled apart by Lily, “Come on, Remus. Any longer and you might as well drop out of uni and become a roadie.”

“Don’t give me any ideas, I might just do that.” Remus huffed. Sirius blew him a kiss as they stepped off the tour bus. The doors hissed and closed behind them and the empty feeling that Remus had gotten when he packed in the hotel room was back and even bigger than before. Lily linked arms with him and they began navigating their way back to the riverfront so they could retrace their steps and find the car park they’d parked at the evening before.

* * *

 

S: Heeey Remmie boy

R: did I give my number to a cute guy or my Nan ffs

S: ok 1st of all im not ‘cute’

S: 2nd of all thank u anyway

R: modest

S: shhh

S: did u find ur car ??

R: yeah, somehow we weren’t robbed

S: sick

R: didn’t know you were a skater dude

R: what have I gotten myself into

S: its too late now we kissed u cant back out

R: shit

S: wait if ur texting me? Then whos driving the car?

R: Lily obvs

S: I cant picture her driving

R: she’s better than me

S: thats not hard

R: cyberbully

____

S: sorry, Pete started kicking off in costa because they were out of millionaire shortbread

R: uh oh

S: If the barista didn’t recognise us we’d probably be banned

S: Reg wont be happy

R: your poor brother

S: he loves it really

R: of course

____

S: hey Remus?

R: what up

S: whats ur spirit animal

R: idk let me just pull up my spirit animal file real quick

R: I have no clue

S: OMG WE HAVE TO GET MUM TO FIND OUT YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL

R: sure why not

R: what’s your spirit animal then?

S: guess

R: hamster

S: wtf? No

R: you’re telling me I kissed a boy whose spirit animal ISNT a hamster?

S: maybe

R: I give up, what is it?

S: DOG

R: wow it all makes sense now

S: ikr

R: wait, so that’s why James calls you padfoot?

S: yeah lol

R: this is a breakthrough in science

R: ok but then, why do you call James Prongs?

S: ask Lily ;)

R: I'm going to throw my phone out of the car window I swear to God

* * *

 

“Lily, why does Sirius call James ‘Prongs’?”

Lily was drinking her milkshake cautiously, although there weren’t many cars on the road. They’d been driving for about half an hour and had only stopped at a service station to get a McDonalds and change in the bathroom. Remus had been on his phone the whole time, occasionally looking up to tell Lily about something Sirius had said or to ask her a question.

“Didn’t he tell you?” She replied, without taking her eyes off of the road.

“Nope, he told me to ask you. He put a winky face on it too.” Remus read his conversation with Sirius aloud, and Lily half-laughed. She put her milkshake back in the cup holder, where it was picked up by Remus almost immediately.

“Well, I asked them about it last night when you were doing the washing up with Regulus, and James told me that his mum practised shamanism and all that; it’s really interesting.”

“So what’s James’s spirit animal?” Asked Remus, who finished the rest of Lily’s milkshake and put it into the bag that they’d put in the bin later.

“A stag- Y’know, like a male deer. That’s pretty cool to be honest, as if he wasn’t hot enough.” Lily sighed contently, before she snapped back to her senses and paid attention to the road again. Remus got nervous when he wasn’t driving sometimes; he was always worried he’d distract the driver somehow and they’d get in a horrible accident. Survivor’s guilt, he supposed.

“Oh, that reminds me. What was Sirius on about this morning? You interrupted him.”

“Um, well,” Lily giggled, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, “I won’t give you any details, Rem, but I’ll just say that Sirius is a nosy little shit and he knew what we were doing but he poked his head through that curtain anyway.” She kept her eyes glued firmly on the road ahead, but her ears went pink.

“So you’re really into James, huh?” Remus was very protective of Lily and felt it was his job, as her closest friend, to make sure that she wouldn’t get treated badly. If she was getting harassed at a bar or club all he had to do was appear beside her and pretend to be her boyfriend. Remus wasn’t the most intimidating person in the world, but something about him made most of the guys that try to hit on Lily back off- Remus secretly thought it was the scars. They made a good team when they went out, since Remus scared off the gross men for Lily and Lily was Remus’s wingwoman when he saw a cute guy. He wasn’t worried about James at all though; he had the manners of a saint and the way Lily’s face lit up when she spoke about him said it all.

“Yeah. One hundred percent.” Her voice was drenched in happiness. She tapped the wheel with her nails. They were almost home, Remus could recognise the buildings they were driving past. He really loved living in Oxford. The buildings were beautiful and there was always something new to discover. Lily had always said it was like being in a magical city that was a home to a secret society of witches and wizards.

 They both went to Oxford University; Lily majoring in Chemistry and Remus majoring in History of Art. He fell in love with art at a young age because he would visit his family that lived in Rome with his dad every other year. They would go to the Vatican and see all of the famous art pieces. It made Remus feel close to his mum, because she’d always loved to paint and their house had been littered with her art.

Remus felt relieved to see their block of flats as Lily pulled into their allocated parking spot. They both got out, shaking the cramps out of their legs before opening up the boot of the car and retrieving their luggage. Luckily, they only lived on the second floor so they didn’t have to lug all of their bags up too many sets of stairs before they reached their flat door. Lily fumbled with her set of keys for a second and then they were finally home. It was still as messy as they’d left it.

Lily threw her bags to the side and raced to the kitchen to make them both coffee as Remus took his bags through to his room. It was only a small room, that only just fit a double bed, but it was still Remus’s safe haven. The biggest wall was covered with a large bookshelf that was full of books about art, his favourite classic novels and sketchbooks full of his drawings and pressed flowers. He had a wooden desk right next to his bed which was covered with jars full of dirty paint water, brushes and half-finished paintings. His bed was his favourite part of his room, because it was piled with pillows and blankets- even in the summer.

Dumping his bags and suitcase beside the door, Remus flopped down onto the pile of cushions contently; he’d missed his own bed so much. He sat up and pulled his closed blinds up so the sunlight could pour in and put some colour back into the room. The plants that lined his window box were well overdue for watering, so he quickly grabbed the mini watering can he kept beside them and gave them a drink in hopes that would revive them. The sunlight was bouncing off of the glass jars and sending rays of light spiralling across the walls. Remus put his phone to charge by his pillow and kicked off his shoes before heaving himself off of his mattress and making his way through to the kitchen. He was starving after their trip.

Lily acknowledged him as she glanced up from her phone, her favourite mug in hand. Remus found his own coffee waiting for him on the table. He grabbed a cereal bar from the cupboard and went to sit down. The radio filled the comfortable silence between them, softly playing generic music from the local station. Remus finished his snack and drained half of his coffee while wondering vaguely whether Sirius had messaged him at all. _You shouldn’t get your hopes up,_ he thought to himself, _he’s probably going to be too busy._

“What’s James up to?” Remus caught himself asking, and Lily looked up in the middle of typing.

“They’re just at a soundcheck, why?” She continued typing her message, but Remus knew she wasn’t ignorant enough to stop listening.

“I was just wondering. My phones on charge, but Sirius hasn’t messaged me for a while.”

“Oh. Well, that might be because he’s ‘in a pissy’ with James and Peter right now. According to James anyway.” Lily locked her phone and put it down on the table to give Remus her full attention.

“That makes sense.” Remus yawned and rubbed his eyes. Lily tutted, taking both of their mugs and leaving them by the sink.

“You’re tired? It’s only five, Remmie.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him gently off of his chair so that they could both go and sit down in the living room. Remus slouched comfortably in his usual spot on the sofa, Lily curled up beside him. They flicked through the few channels they got on their TV and settled for watching an old film they’d both already seen before. Remus’s eyes kept fluttering shut, although he wasn’t entirely sure why he was so tired. He wasn’t sure if he was exhausted from travelling or if all of his lack of sleep was finally catching up with him; he was so busy thinking about this that he didn’t notice that he’d fallen asleep.

* * *

 

The next couple of days were uneventful. Remus and Lily cleaned the flat so that it wasn’t a complete mess anymore, which made their life seem less cluttered. They went out to do some clothes shopping, and Remus helped Lily pick the perfect outfit for Saturday. Sirius had been messaging Remus frequently, and had confirmed that they were playing the O2 in Oxford on Saturday night. He’d also gotten Regulus to email Remus two VIP tickets which meant they’d get to skip the crowd and go backstage before the concert.

It was currently Friday evening, and Remus had made penne pollo for Lily because she constantly praised his wide knowledge of Italian dishes. They were eating at the table and Remus was listening earnestly as Lily rambled about how nervous and excited she was for the concert.

“I’m really excited to see James again!” Lily told him, for the third time. She had been difficult yesterday; spending a lot of money on clothes that she couldn’t really afford, thinking that James would judge her based on where she shopped. Remus tried to convince her that James was the most down to earth guy he’d ever met and he probably wouldn’t give a shit either way, but she was adamant. To be honest, Remus was also worried about how he’d look. He’d casually googled Sirius one night and had found out that he owned a pair of boots that cost more than their monthly rent price.

As well as that, a lot of gossip sites and magazines had been targeting Sirius and James recently. Lily had come back home from food shopping clutching a glossy magazine that had Sirius and James’s photos on the front cover with a headline that read: _The truth about these boys and their love lives._

Luckily, they’d gotten most of the information wrong. As Lily and Remus poured over the article, they pointed out all of the errors and false information to each other in amusement. The article had insisted Sirius was straight and that James was dating a French model called Clarice. Remus had messaged Sirius about it but he didn’t seem fazed.

-

R: Lily just bought a mag with you and James on the front

S: oh yeah? Good read?

R: yeah, extremely well written and factually correct

S: what else would it be? Good ol Rita loves writing about me and the boys

R: she really wants you to be straight

S: don’t they all

-

As Lily went on about how much fun they were going to have tomorrow, Remus picked at his food absent-mindedly. He always listened, and she always talked enough for the two of them.

“I really want to know what my spirit animal is.” She gushed, and Remus nodded.

“So do I, actually. Sirius said He’d get their mum to find out what ours is. I don’t know when that will be though.” He scratched his nose in thought, his nails skimming his scar. Lily shifted slightly in her chair and cleared her throat. Remus knew she was working up the courage to ask him something.

“Well, here’s the thing, Rem. James invited me to go on tour with them for a while. He said Sirius would ask you too.”

Remus choked on his pasta.

“What? But- the flat, our jobs.” He spluttered, thumping his chest in an attempt to dislodge his food.

“I know! But we could ask a friend to look after the flat, and we only work on Saturdays sometimes; it’s not the best job in the world is it?” She pushed her dish to the side and leaned forward, obviously keen to convince him, “I won’t go if you’re not going, Remus. I love you, and I’d never abandon you for some guy- even if he is in a famous band.” She reached out to squeeze his hands in her own.

“We have to think about this rationally, Lil. We’ve only just met them. A couple of drinks and a sleepover doesn’t equate to ‘let’s join you on tour!’.” Remus’s heart was in his stomach.

“It’s not forever! We have to go to uni, so after the summer we’d be back home and back to the usual routine. This is a once in a lifetime chance, Rem! Do you know how many people would kill to be in your position right now?” She searched his eyes frantically, and he dropped his head to avoid her gaze, admitting defeat.

“I’ll think about it.” He sighed and got up, racing to his room and closing the door before Lily could say anything else. There would be a lot to think about before he made his decision in time for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> by the way, i was thinking of making a playlist for this fic, just because i enjoy making playlists. If you'd be interested in listening to a playlist if I were to make one let me know


	6. the O2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slight delay with updating! I promise I won't leave this fic unfinished. Also, this chapter switches between Remus and Sirius's point of view; I hope it's not confusing.

They arrived at the venue 20 minutes early, but there was already a line that stretched all the way down the street. Remus felt bad as he and Lily walked past them to get to the front, as they must have been sat in the line all day. There was a box office booth beside the doors, which Lily raced to get into the queue for as they had to get their wristbands from there, according to Regulus. It wasn’t long before they were at the front of the queue and Remus pulled up the email on his phone to show the member of staff- a young girl with bright pink hair who was wearing the band’s merch. She nodded and searched through a couple of drawers before producing two paper wristbands. They took them and thanked her, letting the next person in the queue go past.

After they’d gotten their wristbands on securely, they took a minute to breathe and figure out what they needed to do next. The O2 in Oxford wasn’t massive, but a lot of people had come out to see Sirius and the band. The dim streetlamps combined with the faint glow from the O2’s sign was the only thing that illuminated the street and the faces of all the excited concert-goers. Remus wasn’t sure how to go about approaching the security guard that stood by the closed doors, his face lacking any expression. Lily was the one that finally spoke up, showing him their wristbands and explaining that they were friends with the band. The security guard didn’t look convinced, but he couldn’t argue that they had wristbands so he begrudging opened the doors enough for them to slip through.  A girl at the front of the line started to protest, but they tried their best to ignore her and hurried embarrassedly into the empty concert hall, which was having the finishing touches sorted out.

“Call James,” Remus snapped unnecessarily at Lily, who already had her phone in hand, “Tell him we’re here and have no bloody idea of where to go.”

“Calm down, Remus, there’s no need to bite my head off.” She shot Remus a look that made him instantly feel bad. He was getting anxious, not just because all of this VIP stuff made him feel awkward and undeserving, but also because of the argument he and Lily had had the other night about going on tour with the band. It still seemed like a crazy idea, even in Remus’s head. There was just no way that they could tour the country with a bunch of people they barely knew.

“Hey, James. Yeah, we’re here.” Lily spoke into her phone, watching Remus from the corner of her eye. “Oh okay, yeah we’ll find it.”

 

* * *

 

Sirius flicked a plectrum against his palm aimlessly, his legs draped over the arm of one of the sofas in the dressing room. He’d done his hair and gotten ready ages ago, and the final soundcheck had been and gone too; now there was nothing to distract him from thinking about seeing Remus again. He’d pushed it to the back of his mind all week, only thinking about Remus when his name flashed up on his phone screen. Sirius had developed a habit of calling him late at night when everyone else had gone to sleep and he was lonely. Remus always picked up on the first ring.

All three of them, James in particular, were irritated because of how dismal their soundcheck had been earlier. Sirius kept messing up half of the songs and even he wasn’t entirely sure what was causing him to lose his usual rhythm. He refused to blame himself for his own incompetence, so he and James had had a row. Sirius wasn’t sure if he even wanted to play the bloody show now, he might as well go off and get high and leave James to deal with the mess- when Sirius caught himself thinking like that he worried even himself.

James was pacing the length of the room, stretching his arms and doing his usual preshow rituals. He was avoiding Sirius’s eye, even when Sirius took one of the spare hair ties from his wrist and slung it directly at James’s face. The dressing room was a depressing shade of navy blue, the wallpaper chipped and stained from over the years, and the stuffy room was cluttered with band equipment and chairs. Sirius, James and Peter had been told to wait in there after the pre-show preparations were over, as the O2 needed them all in one place to make sure they could get out on stage at the right time. Sirius hated being confined in such a drab room- especially one that had no windows or air conditioning. Just because they lived in England didn’t mean it was _always_ terrible weather.

“Lily called me when I was on my way to the bathroom. I told them how to get to where we are.” James mumbled finally, breaking the silence which all three of the band members had been contemplating in. It was nice hearing James talk to him instead of yell, this time, Sirius thought to himself sardonically. He hummed nonchalantly in response and Peter spoke up instead.

“Are they really going to be joining us for the rest of tour?” He asked, whilst flexing his wrists and doing his own preshow stretches, “You don’t see me asking every bird I hook up with to hop on the tour bus and join us.”

“Shut up, Wormtail; this is different.” Sirius’s words were barbed, but Peter shrugged indifferently; he was used to Sirius’s mood swings by now.

“How so, Siri? Enlighten me, please,” Peter slouched back into his chair from the other side of the room, shrinking slightly under Sirius’s warning glare but continuing to speak, “how is this Remus bloke different from all the other countless girls and guys you’ve shagged whilst we’ve been on the road?”

Sirius opened his mouth to retaliate but, surprisingly, James came to his aid first. “Leave him, Pete. Remus is a really nice guy, and Lily is great too.”

“You two are serious about seeing them then? None of us has properly dated in ages.” Peter seemed disappointed, and Sirius guessed it was because he hated change more than anything. Feeling bad for his rudeness, Sirius tried to give Peter a reassuring smile, but the drummer only sniffed and went back to checking his phone. Instead, Sirius turned sheepishly to James, who was shaking his head and stifling a laugh as he watched Sirius finally realise how much of an idiot he was being. Sirius jumped up and they hugged like brothers; the argument they’d had dissolving into another one of the silly spats they’d had in the past, just like that.

When Sirius finally let go of his best friend, James gave, what he thought, was a winning smile. “So you’ll ask Remus about tour after the show, yeah? I have a feeling that if he’s not up to coming with us then Lily won’t be either.”

“Thanks, Prongs. That _really_ calms my nerves.” Sirius sighed and went back to the spot he’d made for himself on the sofa. The fact that James’s love life was practically in his hands was slightly daunting, especially since he wasn’t entirely sure if Remus _would_ want to join them.

The door to the dressing room burst open abruptly and all three of them jumped out of their skin as Remus and Lily stood awkwardly in the doorway; Remus looked fuming.

“Hi!” Lily skipped into the room and greeted them all a little too happily, whilst Remus practically stomped in after her, “Sorry, we got a bit lost. But we found you at last!”

She was looking incredibly beautiful, Sirius noticed absentmindedly. Lily was wearing a fluffy faux fur jacket, a plain white crop top underneath and some black leggings. She was also wearing the same pair of platforms she’d worn the night that James and Sirius had met them. She giggled as James pulled her into a large hug, spinning her around and looking like he’d just spotted the biggest present under the tree on Christmas morning.

Sirius turned his attention to Remus, who, in all his scowling glory, looked just as gorgeous. Sirius actually felt his heart plummet into his stomach, and then launch itself up into his throat. He was only wearing a plain black T-shirt with grey jeans, but he just looked so _perfect_ that Sirius felt himself wanting to jump him then and there. He didn’t, of course- Remus looked ready to knock someone out. Wondering vaguely what had gotten him so angry, Sirius cleared his throat and got up from his seat to greet him.

“You alright, Remus?” He tried, hugging Remus gingerly and half-expecting to be pushed away. Instead, Remus sighed and sagged into Sirius’s arms before eventually hugging him back tightly.

“M’okay,” He mumbled into Sirius’s neck, making Sirius shiver involuntarily, “Just anxious.”

“Anxious?” Sirius chuckled and pulled away, leaving Remus swaying slightly, “Aw, Remmie. I don’t mean to freak you out with all of this confusing band bullshit. Next time I’ll come outside and meet you, yeah?”

Sirius was only joking, but Remus’s eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, “No, no. You’d get swarmed by fans.”

“He’s right, you know,” James piped up from where he and Lily had sat down on one of the sofas, “last time you made the mistake of going out in public near a large group of fans, you got a black eye and your face was scratched to death.”

Sirius shrugged, “I also lost my watch and my shoes, what’s your point? I think that’s what makes being famous so fun.”

Remus was watching him in disbelief, but whatever he was thinking Sirius might not ever find out, as a crew technician knocked loudly on the door, making them jump yet again.

“Alright, guys? The show starts in five; we need you by the stage as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, mate,” James called as the guy left. He, Sirius and Peter stood up and rolled their shoulders before they sprang into action. Remus and Lily were being ushered out as Sirius headed for the stage. He waved happily at them and Remus waved back, before being swallowed up by the crowd.

James and Peter were bouncing on their heels by the side of the stage as Sirius joined them, all of them impatiently waiting for their cue. James, who always used to being the tallest, ruffled Sirius’s messy curls and laughed as Sirius attempted to bite his hand in spite.

“Remember the set, Pads?” James teased as he was handed one of his bass guitars from a member of the crew.

“Like the back of my fucking hand. Have I ever let you down?” Sirius was combing his ruffled hair through with his fingers, rocking with excitement as the cheers of the crowd could be heard from the main concert hall. He always managed to get energetic at the prospect of a playing a show; he would never get bored of performing.

“It’s time. See you guys on the other side.” One of the crew half-shouted over the cheers and chants. They didn’t need telling twice; the three of them walked out onto the dimly lit stage, the stuffiness of a room full of people hitting them immediately. The music started up, and Sirius spoke to the crowd, all of his pent up energy radiating from every aspect of him.

“Who’s fucking excited?!” Sirius screamed, and the crowd screamed back. He grinned and began counting Peter and James in, his rhythm returning to him as abruptly as it had left. He was in his element.

 

* * *

 

Remus and Lily had been shown how to get back to the main hall from the dressing room, and they’d eventually joined the large group of fans flocking towards the main stage as the main doors had just opened. They were currently near the front of the stage, as they’d gotten good spaces first, and the band was halfway through their first song.

 

_“Leave me alone_

_I'm just your enemy_

_I've seen it all_

_I've seen your jealousy_

_They say love me till then end_

_They only see me as a friend_

_You leave a lot to be desired_

_I don't care if I'm desired” (1)_

Once again, Remus was captivated by Sirius’s stage presence. His voice was calming and entrancing, and James and Peter’s playing were equally as great. They sounded amazing, perhaps even better than last Saturday when he and Lily had watched them perform at the festival. As the crowd screamed and cheered and sang along, Remus watched Sirius as his body moved with the music. He was only holding a microphone, and Remus guessed it was because he would be playing the guitar later, for only a select few songs. Since the band didn’t have a guitar player, the guitar was provided by the backing track or, in this case, a random stand in.

The concert was going by in a blur, and the crowd were lapping up every second of it. Remus watched Sirius scan the crowd a few times before his eyes landed on Remus, and his face lit up. Remus smiled back up at him and waved, to which Sirius only responded by smiling even more.

Lily, who was beside Remus, was screaming James’s name and yelling words of encouragement at him; James seemed to of heard her as he was chuckling to himself whilst playing. They had just finished another song when a familiar face appeared to the left of the stage, where the guitar player was- It was Regulus. To Remus’s surprise, he was passed the guitar and took the place of the stand-in, his face a mixture of concentration and nerves. For a second Sirius looked confused, but he shook it off and smiled reassuring at his brother, who grinned weakly back. Remus noticed Regulus’s hands were shaking slightly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that my little brother, Reg, will be our guitar player for the remainder of our concert, and perhaps tour!” Sirius spoke into his mic excitedly, gesturing grandly to where Regulus awkwardly stood.

And with that out of the way, the concert continued. Remus could tell that Regulus was no novice at guitar as he played with just as much ease and talent as his brother, keeping in time with the others easily. Remus wished he could play an instrument that was interesting, but instead he only knew how to play the piano. His family had assured him that everyone would think he was cool, but no one could exactly ask him to whip out a piano. One of Remus’s biggest regrets was choosing piano over guitar; he still got annoyed at himself for thinking about it.

Remus was enjoying every second of the blaring music in his ears, and he didn’t even mind the stuffiness of the concert hall. Sirius moved around the stage, pestering Regulus, James and Peter individually during every other song. For the rest of the concert, Remus forgot all about his worries, his thoughts and who he was, letting himself go and letting Sirius’s voice fill his head.

 

* * *

 

“What a show!” Sirius flopped onto the plush black cushions of the sofa in their tour bus- they’d managed to be escorted out of the O2 after the show with minimal fuss. They had also signed a few albums and notebooks and taken some photos with the fans that were determined enough to wait outside the back entrance, much to the annoyance of security. Now they were back on the tour bus, and the chaos that usually ensued after any show was upon them; James and Peter were arguing over who would get to use the shower first, and Reg was still reeling as he’d just played his first proper concert. Sirius was just going to stay put on the sofa until things had calmed down. Also, his limbs were aching so much he wasn’t sure he could get up again anyway.

“Siri, your phone’s ringing.” Regulus croaked from where he was sat in the kitchen, Sirius’s phone rattling and buzzing on top of the table. Groaning, Sirius pulled himself up- though his muscles complained immensely- and raced to grab his phone before it went to voicemail.

“Hello? It’s me, Remus.” Hearing Remus’s quiet voice from the receiver made Sirius immediately perk up.

“Remus! I almost forgot. You’ll be wondering where we are, I’m sure.”

“Yeah, we’re just kind of stood in this dark alleyway that’s next to the O2. Lily needs to sit down, her feet are blistered to hell.”

Sirius heard Lily’s muffled voice in the background of the phone call, she seemed to be agreeing. Feeling bad for not remembering to tell either of them where the tour bus was parked, Sirius began pulling his boots back on, his phone pinned to his ear by his shoulder.

“Sorry! I’m coming to get you right now, stay put; don’t talk to any strangers!”

“I am a grown ass man, I can handle myself fine thank you very mu-“

There was a sound of scuffling, then the line cut off suddenly. Sirius almost dropped his phone in confusion. Remus wouldn’t have hung up on him like that, he was sure. Maybe his phone died?

“Everything all right?” Regulus was up on his feet, clearly having heard the conversation, seeing Sirius’s expression and worrying himself. He had already pulled on his trainers before Sirius could protest, and was opening the tour bus doors, “Was that Remus?” Sirius nodded and Regulus blanched, “It’s a bit dodgy around this area. I think we should try and find him- quickly.”

They both skipped the steps of the tour bus, hopping straight down onto the pavement instead. The road they were parked at was barely lit, the only light coming from the gaps in the curtains of some of the houses on the other side of the road. They were pretty much right behind the O2 but, since Sirius wasn’t great at navigating, he followed Regulus and they began retracing their steps from earlier. Once they were by the familiar fire escape of the O2, Regulus began looking around. Sirius began looking too, keeping an eye for any dark alleyways.

“Aha! This looks promising.” Sirius beckoned his brother over and pointed at a narrow alley that was completely pitch black; there wasn’t any movement or voices, but it was their only real option. Sirius bounded forwards first, taking out his phone and putting on his torchlight so they could see where they were going. The alley was damp and dirty, covered in rubbish and bin bags that had needed collecting months ago. The stench of all the filth hit Sirius and Regulus suddenly, and they both gagged in disgust.

“I don’t see anyone, Siri. Maybe they’ve gone somewhere else to wait for you. I know I would have, it fucking stinks here.” Regulus held the sleeve of his hoodie to cover his nose and mouth.

“I don’t know. I told him to stay put, but you’re probably right.”

They went to turn back around, but then Sirius heard something; raised voices followed by a scream, and then silence. Regulus was already sprinting towards the source of the noise and Sirius wasn’t far behind.

He had only just rounded the corner which led them out into a fairly well-lit road when he heard Regulus exclaim, “Fuck!”

Remus was sat on the kerb, his nose bloody and his hands trembling in his lap. Lily was sat beside him, her arm draped around him. She was crying. It wasn’t hard to figure out what had happened, there was a fairly large man unconscious in the road in front of them. Luckily, there weren’t any cars driving about at this time, or they’d have needed to move him as soon as possible. Instead, Sirius rushed to Remus’s side while Regulus checked the unconscious man’s pulse and tried to drag him towards the pavement.

“Remus, I’m here,” Sirius took one of Remus’s shaking hands and Remus turned to face him, blood dripping down his chin. He looked like he was in shock. “I came to find you. Can you tell me what happened?”

Remus looked reluctantly at the unconscious body that Regulus had finally managed to get onto the pavement and then back at Sirius. Sirius wiped the blood that was still pouring from Remus’s nose with his sleeve. “I was on the p-phone to you, and then this guy came down the alleyway, shouted a bunch of bollocks and then tried to nick my phone,” he pulled out his phone from his jean pocket- it was now smashed to pieces and the screen was hanging off. “Obviously I w-wasn’t going to stand there and let him run off with my phone so we ran after him and I hit him, and then we were fighting. Lily hit him over the head with her shoe and he was knocked out- dropped my fucking phone though didn’t he? I can’t afford another one.”

Sirius stared dumbfounded from Remus to Lily, both of them crying silently. Lily sat up a little straighter and began pleading, “I thought he was going to k-kill Remus! He had a knife, and Remus didn’t see it and I just hit him with whatever I had in my hands, which were my platforms.”

“It’s alright, Lily, I would have done the same thing if I were in your position.” Sirius tried to give them both reassuring smiles, but this seemed to make them crumble even more.

“Shall I call the police?” Regulus had his phone in one hand, he was looking around to see if anyone had witnessed the fight, but the streets were empty.

“Yeah, you stay there with that guy, and I’ll get Remus and Lily back to the tour bus, they’re shivering.” Sirius stood up and helped the other two to their feet. Regulus nodded and took a seat on the kerb himself, his phone pressed to his ear as he waited for the 999 operators to take his call.

 

* * *

 

Remus and Lily were wrapped up in all of the blankets they could find when they were back on the tour bus, and James had made them both his famous hot chocolate. Sirius refused to leave Remus’s side, and Remus was grateful for that. He couldn’t stop replaying the fight over and over again in his head; he’d never been in such a serious fight in his life.

He didn’t regret it, though. He wasn’t going to act helpless and let some guy run off with his phone, even if that meant using some form of force to get it back. Not that it even mattered now; his phone was in pieces and no one could get it to work. Remus’s stomach hurt whenever he reminded himself that he would have to live without his phone until who knows when. That meant no more texting Sirius and no more late night phone calls.

The wireless speaker that was balancing on top of the table in front of them buzzed on quietly, it was the only noise amongst the silence. Regulus had texted Sirius to tell him that the police had arrived and had taken the unknown man into custody- Sirius told everyone that Regulus would be back soon, and the police would arrive tomorrow as they wanted to ask them all questions.

Sirius was stroking Remus’s knuckles with his thumb and trying his best to comfort him. All Remus wanted to do was sleep.

“You know, this was all my fault,” Sirius said suddenly, surprising everyone, “I forgot to tell you where we were parked. Now we have to deal with police and you don’t have a phone.”

“It’s not your fault, Sirius. It’s no one’s fault.” Remus tried his best to smile. His nose felt stiff and numb, but he tried not to let it show, as it wasn’t important.

“No, listen, Remus. I take responsibility. I’ll get you a new phone.” Sirius looked determined, but Remus began to panic at the thought of him being bought a phone by someone he hadn’t known for long. He felt like this was taking advantage.

“No. Please don’t, I’ll find my own way to pay for it. It’s my responsibility, not yours.”

“Please, Remus! It’ll make me feel less guilty, and we’ll be able to text again that way! It won’t cost me much, I promise you.” Everyone was looking at them, expecting Remus to make his final decision. Remus looked to Lily, who, for once in his life, was proving difficult to read.

“I’ll think about it; is that what you want me to say? I’m sorry that I don’t want you flashing your fancy credit cards and showering me in money, okay?” Remus snatched his hand away from Sirius’s grip and turned away, leaving Sirius looking like he’d just been slapped.

“Fine! If that’s how you think of me, that’s just fine. Mr Money Bags it is.” Sirius got to his feet and pulled out a cigarette pack from his coat pocket, stomping out of the tour bus and leaving the room swimming with awkward silence.

“He was just trying to be nice,” James spoke up from where he was sat at the kitchen counter, his long legs swinging and hitting the wall, “but I get it, you’ve just had a traumatic experience and all. He’ll calm down- you should probably do the same.”

James stood up and began turning off the kitchen lights and the speaker, “I’m going to bed. Are you two going to stay down here?” He ran his hands through his unruly hair and looked at Remus and Lily expectantly.

“I’ll go to bed too, I’m exhausted.” Lily shuffled out from under their heap of blankets and linked arms with James.

“I think I’ll stay here, I’m not up to moving right now if I’m honest.” Remus slumped further into the cover of his blankets; keeping his ulterior motive for staying put hidden from his best friend and James. He would wait for Sirius to return and apologise for how he had reacted, and then politely refuse the offer of a new phone. He would never forgive himself if he somehow managed to ruin any chance he had with Sirius. For now, he would sit and wait patiently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) girls like mystery - the cribs


End file.
